


The Lair of Grom

by jessm78



Series: Time With a Twist of Tartan [4]
Category: Doctor Who (1963)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe, Angst, Drama, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-11
Updated: 2019-05-23
Packaged: 2020-01-11 22:33:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 28,087
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18433460
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jessm78/pseuds/jessm78
Summary: Not only has Jamie had to adjust to the Doctor's new face, but his honeymoon has been interrupted and he's left with a discontented bride … who, along with Sarah Jane, has now gone missing. Set not long after The Ark in Space story arc. Fourth story in the Time With a Twist of Tartan series.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Not my characters, except for Kathryn and the baddies. This story is for entertainment purposes only. No copyright infringement is intended. Once again, this story is unbetaed so any mistakes are mine and mine alone.

 

Three weeks. It had been over three weeks since the Doctor was last seen. Well, three weeks since Sarah Jane had seen him. It had been a wee bit longer for Jamie, of course. He had hung around UNIT HQ, hoping the Time Lord would finally turn up. Sarah had told him everything: what had happened at the monastery where Captain Yates had stayed; on Metebelis 3, that planet with those strange spiders; and finally their encounter at the monastery with the Doctor's old teacher, or whoever he was.

After learning the gruesome details of what had happened to the Doctor courtesy of The Great One on Metabelis 3, one wouldn't expect the Doctor to come through it all right. Jamie knew him, though; knew him better than anyone. He couldn't count the Doctor out.

Sarah herself hadn't stuck around much. It seemed as though she'd tried to go on with her life and put the Doctor out of her mind. Jamie could tell she wasn't having much success, though. In the few times he did see her, she seemed quite preoccupied.

He certainly hadn't expected her to show up today. He'd wandered into the lab, mainly looking about the room and thinking this would be the day the trusty old TARDIS would finally show up in its usual corner.

Sarah had entered the room, looking around forlornly until she turned and started a bit. “Oh! Jamie,” she exclaimed in surprise.

“Hello,” he greeted her with an awkward smile.

“I didn't expect to see you,” she told him sheepishly.

“Aye, 'm still here. Kathryn an' I are going tae get some lunch. While I wait fer her I jus' thought I'd come in here an'...” He trailed off, unsure of how to continue.

Luckily she seemed to understand perfectly. “I know what you mean,” she said with a sad smile.

The Brigadier suddenly entered the room, also seeming surprised to find them here. “Hello, Miss Smith. McCrimmon,” he greeted them.

“Oh, hello, Brigadier,” Sarah replied. “I just thought I'd pop in and …” She trailed off and her smile faded. “Well, to tell you the truth, I don't quite know why I did pop in, actually.”

The thin smile on the Brigadier's face seemed sympathetic in nature. “To see if there was any sign of the old fellow, eh?”

Jamie nodded with a tight smile of his own. “Aye,” he said quietly.

“But there can't be, can there?” Sarah spoke up. “I mean, he's been gone over three weeks now.”

The Brigadier gave a slight shrug. “Oh, that's nothing. One time I didn't see him for months. And what's more, when he did turn up he had a new face. Could have been a completely different man.”

Jamie nodded and his eyes then widened as the meaning of the Brigadier's words hit him. That must have been when “his” Doctor had changed into his current incarnation. Jamie could imagine what a shock it was for this military man to find the Doctor looking and acting completely different.

“No, he knew if he went back there he would destroy himself!” Sarah persisted. “We'll never see him again.”

“Hey, now don' be speakin' this way,” Jamie admonished her lightly. “The Doctor has been in tougher situations than this. I know he will come back.”

Sarah still looked grim. “I hope you're right --”

The rest of her statement was drowned out by the familiar whirring sound of the TARDIS materializing in the corner of the room. Jamie's eyes widened as he watched the doors open and the Doctor clumsily rush out.

“Doctor!” Sarah cried.

“Hello, Sarah. Jamie,” he greeted tiredly, barely standing. He briefly turned to acknowledge Jamie with a slight nod before turning back to Sarah. “I got lost in the time vortex. The TARDIS brought me home.”

The Doctor sounded completely exhausted from the way he spoke. Whatever happened, it seemed it had taken a lot of his energy. Jamie hoped that with some rest he'd be good as new in no time.

Yes, from the way he'd suddenly fallen onto the floor, it was quite obvious he needed rest. Jamie rushed to grab him, but he was like dead weight and had nearly knocked Jamie himself over. Finding a cushion next to the bench, the young Scot handed it to the Brigadier who placed it below the Doctor's head.

“Oh! Oh, Doctor, why did you have to go back?” Sarah asked him desperately, sounding as if she were about to cry. Jamie suddenly felt fear growing inside him. This was indeed more serious than he'd expected. Sarah had mentioned earlier that the radiation from the Great One could kill him, but Jamie had refused to believe it. He couldn't imagine the Doctor being in such mortal danger.

“I had to face my fear, Sarah,” the Doctor rasped out. “I had to face my fear. That was more important … than just going on living.”

“Please, don't die,” Sarah pleaded, her voice faltering as her tears fell.

Despite his weakened state, the Doctor seemed to notice and had brought a hand up to her face. “A tear, Sarah Jane?” he said. “No, don't cry. While there's life, there's ...”

His voice trailed off and he uttered a soft sigh. He was gone.

“No,” Sarah cried.

“Doctor!” Jamie exclaimed. He lowered his head to the Doctor's chest, hoping to find a heartbeat but all he heard was silence. “Doctor,” he repeated, his voice breaking. “Ye can't …”

Sarah closed the Doctor's unseeing eyes and the finality of it smacked Jamie upside the head. This couldn't be the end of him. It just couldn't.

Somewhere amid his overwhelming shock and grief, he faintly picked up on a strange buzzing sound coming from somewhere in the lab. He struggled to take his gaze off the Doctor's supine form and found a strange, little man materializing on top of a desk in the other corner of the room.

Jamie's eyes narrowed in curiosity as he gazed at the man. He was wearing a robe and a hat upon his head that reminded him of the monks they had met in Tibet when they first encountered the Yetis. He wore a small pair of spectacles and was seated with his legs crossed in front of himself.

“It is all right,” the man spoke placidly. “He is not dead.”

Sarah looked positively stricken. “Oh, no. I don't think I can take much more,” she groaned. Jamie moved to her side and took her into his arms, holding her in a tacit sign of support.

The strange man smiled apologetically. “I am sorry to have startled you, my dear.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Jamie spotted the Brigadier quirking an eyebrow as he eyed the stranger. “Won't you introduce me to your friend, Miss Smith?”

Sarah moved to stand up and Jamie let go of her. “Oh, er … Yes. This is the Abbot of … No, it's Cho-Je,” she exclaimed. She then cleared her throat awkwardly. “I mean, it looks like Cho-Je but it is really K'Anpo Rinpoche. I think.”

“Thank you. That makes everything quite clear,” the Brigadier deadpanned.

“The Doctor is alive,” the little man suddenly declared.

Jamie's face contorted in confusion. “Eh? What're ye talkin' aboot?”

“No, you're wrong. He's dead,” Sarah added miserably.

The man … Cho-Je...K'Anpo --- whatever his name was, seemed undeterred. “All the cells of his body have been devastated by the Metebelis crystals, but you forget, he is a Time Lord.” A disarming little smile quickly spread across his face. “I will give the process a little push and the cells will regenerate.”

Regenerate. Jamie's eyes widened upon hearing that word. He suddenly remembered what the Doctor's future incarnation had told him all that time ago, about the process he underwent in order to gain a new body and personality. That was the word he had used back then as well … “regeneration.” Suddenly feeling a bit overwhelmed, he knelt down on the ground once again, turning back to the Doctor.

“He will become a new man,” K'Anpo continued.

“Literally?” the Brigadier asked before a knowing, weary expression overtook his face. “Not again,” he said tiredly.

“Of course, he will look quite different,” K'Anpo added. “And it will shake up the brain cells a little. You may find his behavior somewhat erratic.”

“When will all this happen?” Sarah asked.

The little man's smile widened, making him appear almost child-like. “Well, there's no time like the present, is there.” He aimed his fingers in the Doctor's direction and then slowly began to fade away. “Goodbye. Look after him.”

“Wait!” Jamie cried, jumping up and running toward the now empty space. He sighed in frustration and raked a hand through his hair. He stared sadly at the floor for a moment until he felt a slight tug on his shirtsleeve and turned to find Sarah regarding him earnestly.

“Jamie, look,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. He turned in the direction she indicated but found nothing out of the ordinary, save for an odd background noise he could only describe as the sound of a hundred crystals tinkling together.

The Brigadier had looked about the room in futility as well and begun to make his way toward the doors when she grabbed him. “No, wait, Brigadier, look!” she cried. “I think it's starting!”

“Well, here we go again,” the Brigadier remarked dryly.

Jamie had barely heard him as the noise intensified. He stared in shock as he watched the Doctor's appearance slowly transform. The wavy, gray and white hair had turned into a mop of brown curls, his skin had changed into that resembling a younger man, and his facial features seemed to change as well.

All Jamie could do was stand with his jaw practically on the ground, completely unaware of anything else going on around him at that point. This 'regeneration' the Doctor had once spoke of was happening before his very eyes … And he didn't know what to think.

 


	2. One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains some vague references to the prequel of this series "You Can't Go Home Again (Or Can You?)" and the first story "Waylaid in London." And I've also included a bonus image of Jamie being cute in Cornwall. :)

_June 22, 1974_

 

Staring out the window of the train car, Jamie sighed contentedly. He and Kathryn were embarking on their honeymoon to the Cornish coast, their accommodations for the week being a lovely seaside cottage. Jamie smiled, remembering how Kathryn's face had lit up when she eyed the brochure and the beautiful scenery contained within.

As he gazed out the window he felt his mind wander. So much had happened recently. Two weeks ago the Doctor had finally arrived back from Metebelis 3 near death due to radiation poisoning. Jamie couldn't believe that much time had passed; it felt as if it were yesterday. This regeneration business was something so new to him, something he had never experienced first hand. Of course, the Doctor's later self had told Jamie all about the process and 'his' Doctor had been forced to change into this last one, but he himself had never actually witnessed the Time Lord changing.

He was still trying to get used to the Doctor's new appearance and personality. He frowned as he recalled how manic the Doctor was acting soon after he had changed. His behavior had practically given Jamie whiplash. Any familiarity the Doctor had of them – himself, Sarah Jane and the Brigadier – had seemed to disappear for a brief time. He had also seemed quite preoccupied with his new appearance, especially trying to find a new set of clothes that would become his style.

Jamie had felt much like a mesmerized spectator watching the Doctor flit about the room. A sudden distraction came in the form of a UNIT officer informing him of Kathryn's arrival. It'd suddenly dawned on him they were going to have lunch together. He'd found her standing a bit further down the corridor, waiting for him to join her. They had eaten at a nearby restaurant and he'd felt guilty for seeming so preoccupied the entire time. He had apologized but she insisted it was no problem, even as he had told her about the Doctor changing. Curiously, she herself didn't seem all that fazed by it but seemed a bit preoccupied nonetheless. When he questioned her, she merely brushed it off.

Thinking of changes, over the past year there had been quite a few. First there was Jo leaving once she got engaged to Professor Jones and had left on that expedition with him. Not long afterwards, Sarah Jane had stumbled upon the Doctor and had unwittingly joined him. Finally, there was all the business with Captain Yates who had been placed on leave and had tipped them off as to the strange goings-on at the monastery. To be honest, those events were not such a big deal to Jamie. He had been used to it, given all the arrivals and departures he had witnessed back when he had first traveled with the Doctor.

The Doctor himself changing had totally eclipsed all that, especially combined with the changes in Jamie's personal life. He had proposed to Kathryn at Victoria and Terrence's wedding some nine months ago. Shortly thereafter he had moved in with her. He'd had some reservations about that, of course, thinking it best for them to wait until after they were wed. Kathryn had assured him it was okay. A lot of people did this sort of thing nowadays, she had told him. In the end, Jamie decided not to argue over it and found himself warming to the idea.

Several more changes had occurred that were cause for celebration. Kathryn had been promoted at work and was earning a better salary. Jamie himself had also managed to get a job at a local museum in a section pertaining to Scottish history. The group performed reenactments of historical battles from time to time for special events held there. He was asked to participate in several which depicted battles of the Scottish against the English, in particular several of the Jacobite Uprisings. Jamie felt a bit odd at first given how very close to home this was for him, but he tried not to get too bogged down in it. He reminded himself this was like a “play” of sorts for the likes of tourists and school children.

He quickly found himself enjoying the job. On one particular afternoon, he had been giving a short tour of exhibits featuring the Scottish Highlands. As he got rather nostalgic in the middle of recounting some of the legends passed down over time through the area, he had been interrupted by a couple of tourists …

“Forgive me for interrupting,” the woman with an Australian-sounding accent piped up. “But we have really been enjoying your presentation. Your accent sounds so authentic!”

Jamie had suddenly clamped his mouth shut and quirked an eyebrow. Her comment had caught him off guard, and had she told him this several years earlier he might even have been insulted by it.

Instead, he laughed awkwardly. “Thank ye.”

“Are you from that area?”

Jamie nodded. “Aye, I'm a born an' bred Highlander. From the isle of Skye. My family even fought in the Battle of Culloden … for the Prince.” He tried to keep himself as vague and emotionally detached as possible as he volunteered this information. It was always something about which he got emotional, but he found it easier to speak of the more time had passed. He was just happy to share how proud he was of his heritage in whatever way possible with people who seemed interested.

Back in the present, Jamie's smile returned as he recounted this particular memory. Yes, things certainly seemed to be going well for both of them. And now here they were, embarking on their honeymoon. This last thought caused his smile to widen.

Their wedding itself had been near perfect. After all that had recently happened, Jamie was glad it hadn't been interrupted. The Doctor, Sarah and Harry had just been through an ordeal on a space station many thousands of years into the future. While there they had dealt with some huge, nasty insect-like beasties that planned to destroy humans. Not only that, but they'd later had their hands full with some Sontarans, Daleks and Cybermen before finally making it back. Jamie was glad he had sat that one out. He had already helped them deal with that robot business earlier. Luckily the Doctor had found a solution, just as Jamie had faith he would, and they had returned none the worse for wear.

The day before the wedding, all the people at UNIT HQ had had a little gathering of sorts for Jamie and Kathryn and had toasted them, wishing them the best. Once they'd returned home that evening, they were surprised to find Ben, Polly, Victoria and Terrence waiting to treat them to dinner. Jamie was thankful to have such good friends supporting them.

As for the location of their honeymoon, they had narrowed it down to two choices: The Scottish Highlands and the Cornish coast. As much as they both wanted to honeymoon in Scotland, they'd quickly decided against it after the ordeal at Glamis Castle two years earlier. There was also the fact that neither of them had been to the Cornish coast. Polly had told Kathryn that she and Ben had holidayed there and about how lovely it was. Jamie decided it would be nice to try something new. After what Polly had said, Kathryn seemed so intent on going and he didn't want to disappoint her.

A quick tap on his shoulder brought him out of his reverie. Turning away from the window, he found Kathryn gazing at him in concern.

“You all right?” she asked. “You seemed about a million miles away.” Her mouth quirked into a hint of a fond smile.

Jamie briefly lowered his gaze and chuckled in spite of himself. “Aye. I've jus' been thinking of all that's been happenin' lately.” He sighed. “So much has changed, ye know.”

Kathryn nodded. “Yes, it has,” she said thoughtfully. “Despite all that, there's still one constant.”

He regarded her curiously. “What?”

Kathryn's smile widened. “Us,” she replied and then leaned into him, softly capturing his lips in a kiss. Once she'd moved back, Jamie beamed as he met her loving gaze. He then put his arms around her and moved in for another kiss. She was right. No matter the changes that had occurred, the two of them together was the one thing he could count on.

 

* * *

 

Once they had arrived at their stop, Jamie had flagged down a taxi to take them to the cottage in which they were staying. The cabbie had dropped them off at the owner's office and they had gone inside to check in and collect the key along with anything else they needed. Jamie found the middle-aged owner a pleasant man with a great sense of humor. While he had spoken with the man, Kathryn had found some brochures for points of interest and had brought them to him. As they left the office, Jamie briefly scanned them, a bit surprised to find there was more to do there than he had expected.

Judging by her grin, Kathryn seemed to have caught his look. “If you're thinking what I think you're thinking, don't worry. We don't have to do all that. We can spend some time relaxing here as well,” she joked.

Jamie chuckled. “I didnae mean tae look overwhelmed or anythin'. I jus' don' wanna be runnin' somewhere every moment an' stickin' tae some impossible schedule.” He grinned wickedly, knowing what her reaction would be.

She scowled at him and swatted him in the chest with one of the brochures. “I'm not like that, you silly Scots git,” she huffed.

Jamie's grin faded and he scowled back at her. “Hey!” he protested. “I'm a _what_?!” He suddenly found the corner of her mouth twitching into a smirk and realized she had been having him on. He briefly rolled his eyes and his mouth lifted in an amused grin. “Och, come 'ere, you,” he exclaimed, pulling her into hug and kissing the top of her head.

After a moment he pulled back and smiled at her. “Come on. Our cottage is jus' over this way.” He gestured to a path that wound through the seaside cliffs.

They strolled hand in hand toward their ultimate destination, taking in the gorgeous scenery along the way. The best was yet to come, however, as Jamie had slowed to a stop in front of a particular building. Double-checking the key in his hand with the printed number on it, he gazed at the number on the front of the building and smiled. Yes, this was the one.

The tiny, light wooden-paneled, one-story cottage with a shallow-pitched, gable roof was nestled into the seaside cliff. A wooden deck of similar color furnished with a table and chairs surrounded it. The views of the beach and ocean were breathtaking. For what seemed like an eternity, Jamie just stood, staring out at the ocean, hard-pressed to remember the last time he'd seen such a beautiful sight (not including the Scottish Highlands, anyway).

He suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to find Kathryn eyeing him happily. “It is beautiful, isn't it. Let's see what's inside, shall we?”

Jamie smiled softly at her. “Aye.” They traversed the slate stepping stones that led to the front door and he produced the key the owner had given them. With a quick turn of the key the door opened and they entered, taking in the atmosphere in quiet awe.

The cottage was indeed small, but quaint and tastefully decorated. The interior walls were splashed with white and there were various small decorations of a nautical nature adorning them in the form of small pictures and sculptures, but not enough to make the place appear cluttered.

Just beyond the front door was a very short corridor with a living area straight ahead. It was quite airy and inviting, featuring a wall of floor-to-ceiling windows which afforded yet another stunning view of the outdoors. Jamie was nearly taken aback by how beautiful it looked and, turning to Kathryn, her reaction told him she felt the same way.

He shook himself out of his daze as he noticed what appeared to be a latch on one of the windows. “Wha's this?” he muttered. Examining it closer, he realized it appeared to be a handle, as in door handle. He reached out to grab it.

“Oh, Jamie, I don't know if you should ...” Kathryn started, sounding a bit worried. Her voice trailed off as Jamie grabbed the handle and pushed. He discovered it was really a set of double doors, opening outward to let in the invigorating sea air.

After staring in awe for a few moments, they decided to have a look at the other rooms in more detail. Jamie had shut the windows-cum-doors in the living area and rejoined Kathryn in the kitchen. It was small but with all the conveniences they needed: a refrigerator, range top and oven, cabinets stocked with plates, pots and pans, and a sink. One door off the living area opened up into a tiny bathroom. On the other side of the short corridor was another door leading to a room which turned out to be the bedroom. It was a cozy room also done in white and featured a double bed with white and sea green linens. Perhaps the most wonderful discovery was that it too featured a floor-to-ceiling window, offering more gorgeous views of the seaside.

To say that Jamie was completely stunned was an understatement. He was certainly surprised that such lovely accommodations had been so reasonable. His gaze shifted to Kathryn who was absolutely over the moon, if her expression was anything to go by.

“So? What do ye think?” Jamie asked with an affectionate smile.

She seemed at a loss for words. “What do I think?” she asked, almost incredulously. She rushed up to him and crushed him in a huge hug. Jamie squeaked in surprise as she nearly knocked him onto the bed. He soon recovered and wrapped his arms around her, capturing her lips in a deep kiss.

Finally letting go and stepping back, he found her eyes almost filled with tears with a smile so broad it nearly threatened to break her face in two. “How on Earth did you find this place?” she asked.

“Ah, Polly told me aboot it,” he replied. “She an' Ben had stayed in one of these cottages some time ago. No' this one, of course, but she gave me the owner's telephone number an' the brochures I showed ye.”

Some realization seemed to hit and she nodded. A knowing expression soon made its way across her face. “I did wonder how you could afford such a place. I know it's small but with views such as this, I'd almost expect it to go for hundreds of pounds a day.”

Jamie suddenly felt his cheeks flame and looked away. “Aye, well, Polly told me tae tell the owner that I know her an' Ben … an' that it may help us get a discount.” He winced in embarrassment.

Looking back up at her, she nodded and appeared almost impressed. “Well, it's not as if you were lying.” She then grinned. “And if it helps make paradise a bit more affordable, I certainly can't object.”

Jamie chuckled. “Aye. Well, I only want the best for ye, lass. I know my job doesnae pay verra well, an' I don' really have the skills tae get somethin' better --”

“Oh, knock it off, McCrimmon,” she cut him off, eyeing him disapprovingly. “You will not sell yourself short in front of me. Understand?”

He nodded sheepishly, feeling another blush overtake his face.

“I don't care about any of that.” Her stern expression softened. “I only care that you love me. As I love you.”

He gazed at her affectionately. “I knew there was a good reason I'd taken to ye so much,” he said before kissing her softly on the lips once again.

 

 

* * *

 

Kathryn took in a deep breath and smiled as she looked out at the ocean, looking away only briefly to smile up at Jamie. They had had a nice dinner at a local restaurant the owner had recommended. Afterwards, they decided to take a stroll along the beach. It was a beautiful evening and the fresh, salty air was invigorating. The view itself of the setting sun on the water was truly magnificent.

At one point, the breeze off the water grew a bit chilly and Kathryn had begun to shiver despite the knitted poncho she had draped over herself. Jamie seemed to have taken notice and pulled her closer to him, wrapping his arm around her. Her gaze flew up to him immediately and she was in awe of how handsome he looked: the way the golden, reddish hue from the sunset bathed him in a warm glow, the way the hair framing his face blew ever so slightly in the wind, and the way the small dimple peeking out of the corner of his mouth as he smiled softly.

Having embraced and shared one more amazing kiss as the sun slipped below the horizon behind them, they resumed their walk back to the cottage. Once there, they decided to take in the rest of the amazing view from the deck. Jamie had taken a seat on one of the sturdy, whitewashed chairs and Kathryn sat on his lap. For a while, he held her as they took in the gorgeous vista stretched out before them. If this wasn't Heaven, it was surely close enough.

* * *

 

Jamie sat on the bed, reading one of the brochures Kathryn had picked up from the owner's office. His gaze had drifted to the small clock on the end table and he frowned. It was already ten minutes to nine o'clock. Mystified as he noted the still closed bathroom door, he shook his head. How long could she take to get through her nightly routine?

Finally the door clicked open and Kathryn emerged, dressed in a white, lacy nightgown. He smiled in amusement. “Hey. I was wonderin' what was keepin' ye --”

He trailed off and did a double take as he noticed the layer of white cream covering her face, nearly dripping off her chin. Jamie tried to keep a straight face but failed, ducking his head as he sputtered with laughter.

She finally seemed to notice him and gazed at him in confusion. At least that's what her expression appeared to convey. Of course, it was hard to tell the way the stuff had been thickly painted over her face. Jamie tried again to sober up, but wasn't having much success.

“Sorry,” he blurted. “It's just that ye look like a Bean Nighe.”

“A what?”

Jamie's laughter faded and his gaze dropped to his hands, afraid that looking straight at her would make him lose it again. “She's an old, pale, fairy woman who is a harbinger of death. She washes the blood stains out of the clothes of those who are aboot tae die.” Finally he looked back up at her with a lopsided, teasing grin.

In a reaction he hadn't quite expected, she wrinkled her nose in disgust. “That's not very pleasant at all.” She frowned at him, appearing hurt.

Jamie shot her a brief, contrite look and then laughed gently. “I was jus' teasing,” he told her. “I don' know why ye need tae wear that stuff.”

Kathryn still didn't appear very happy. “It's moisturizing cream, Jamie. My skin has been so dry.”

He lifted a curious eyebrow. “Eh? No, it's not. I think it's perfectly fine. I've told ye so many times: ye're very pretty.”

Kathryn suddenly appeared embarrassed and Jamie suspected she was blushing under that goop covering her face. Drawing closer, he put his arm around her and gazed at her tenderly. “Stop tryin' tae find every wee fault that ye can,” he admonished her softly. “Nobody is perfect. Although you are near perfect tae me.”

He caught a ghost of a smile on her face and let go of her long enough to head into the bathroom and grab a small, damp washcloth. Smiling as he neared her, he reached out to dab away the cream from the tip of her nose and then gave it a little kiss. Once he stepped back he found her beaming at him. He then dabbed some more of it off her cheeks and as he leaned over to kiss one and then the other, he snorted inwardly as a lock of his hair swooped forward over the bridge of his nose. He heard her giggle softly before she reached up to push it away from his eyes. He'd decided to grow out his fringe a bit in recent months and discovered Kathryn loved playing with it, twirling it around her fingers whenever they were close. He himself had no room to talk; he found he enjoyed playing with her hair from time to time as well.

“What would I do without you?” she asked with a smile once she'd removed the rest of the cream with the washcloth.

“Ye'd walk round scarin' the daylights outta people, lookin' like a Bean Nighe,” he joked, giving her a little wink. Her eyes widened in mock anger and she lifted her hand as if she were going to smack him. Jamie held his hands up in surrender and chuckled once again. He then leaned over to tickle her, causing her to yelp and dissolve against him in laughter as they tumbled onto the bed together.

Gathering her into his arms, Jamie smiled fondly as he traced her jawline with his finger. “Are ye happy?”

She nodded. “Of course I am.” Lifting her head, he found her gazing out the large window at the seaside. “This is such a beautiful place.” She then gestured around the room. “This cottage is so lovely ...” She drifted off as she met his gaze and her smile widened. “And I'm on my honeymoon with my sweet Scotsman.” He smiled as she moved some strands of his hair back from the side of his face and kissed it softly. “It doesn't get any better than this.”

* * *

 

_London, one hour earlier_

 

Sighing, Sarah Jane got into her car inside the UNIT garage and placed her purse on the passenger seat. She frowned as she looked at her watch. She usually left HQ much earlier than this, but Harry had talked her into staying a bit later to help him with some report-writing, with the promise of ordering some Chinese takeaway for the two of them. He'd insisted she was a good writer and he could use her help. A part of her wondered if he was just buttering her up to curry favor, although there seemed to be a touch of sincerity in his request.

Despite his earlier patronizing behavior and the pet names which made her roll her eyes, she had to admit she'd begun to find him rather endearing. Smiling faintly, she recalled how he'd acted especially protective of her at times during this recent ordeal after seemingly endless ordeal.

Yes, even after all the crazy situations they got into, she considered herself lucky to be with such people; not just Harry, but the Doctor, Brigadier, Warrant Officer Benton, Jamie …

She'd started her car and switched on the radio as she began the drive back home. She still couldn't believe how late it was. Not a big deal, certainly, but she was used to the sun being a bit higher in the sky when it was time to leave, not ready to set. Giving a tiny shrug, she sighed and reached out to turn the volume of the radio a bit higher.

A sudden jolt nearly threw her forward and she grabbed the steering wheel to steady herself. Switching off the radio, she realized it could only be one thing: a blown tire. She swore softly as she piloted the car more to the side of the road, parked it and shut off the ignition.

Exiting the car and walking around it, she squinted in the fading light. Of all the times for this to happen! Finding what appeared to be the offending tire on the driver's side, she bent to examine it. Sarah stared at it grimly. There was no way she was going to get home like this. Should she walk back to UNIT HQ? Near as she could figure it, she was close to a quarter of a mile away. Straightening up, she scanned the road to see if she could locate a telephone box. Not finding any, she sighed and decided the best course of action was to return to HQ.

She'd walked alongside the road for less than a block when she suddenly heard a _clink!_ noise alongside her. Something must have fallen out of her purse. Crouching down, she discovered it was a hair clip she'd kept inside. She was just about to pick it up when she felt a sudden tug on the back of her left arm. Feeling her heart pounding in her chest, she sat frozen in place for several moments. She slowly began to turn in order to see who was there when another hand suddenly reached around, covering her mouth.

“Mmmmf!! Let go of me!!” she protested, her voice muffled by the large hand as she tried to in vain to kick whomever it was that had grabbed her. She felt herself being dragged into the grassy area off the side of the road. Realizing the kicking and shouting was getting her nowhere, she opened her mouth as far as she could and bit down on her assailant's fingers. She grinned inwardly as she heard a loud, shrill scream in protest.

That satisfaction was short-lived, however, as she felt a sharp blow to the back of her head and everything quickly went black.

 

 


	3. Two

The Doctor sat at the bench in the lab, reading an older issue of one of his scientific journals. After all that had happened recently he'd fallen behind. The first article was quite interesting but the next he found rather dry and boring. He lifted his gaze and looked about the room, nearly hoping for a distraction.

It came in the form of an unexpected source: the colorful stone lying on the opposite end of the bench. About four inches long by three inches wide, it was smooth-shaped with rounded edges. One might even guess it was shaped by glacial processes. The most noteworthy thing about it was its color: a slate gray which seemed quite dull upon first inspection but when the light hit it, it shimmered in a stunning array of iridescent colors: violet, red, blue, green … He had never seen anything like it.

The source of the stone was also unexpected: Jamie and Kathryn's garden. The way the young Scot had told it, he had been out there one day weeks earlier and had discovered it. He had shown it to Kathryn who had found it beautiful, and so he'd given it to her as a gift. The Doctor felt his lips twitch into a smile upon that memory.

It faded however as he recalled that Jamie had had a funny feeling about it. He didn't seem to understand why but had brought it into HQ in the hopes that the Time Lord could shed some light on it. All he could think of at the time was in a purely structural sense: how its shape could clue him into the natural processes that had formed it. The dazzling array of colors when the light hit it had left him stumped. Of course, this was directly following his regeneration and everything had been one jumbled mess. Now, things had finally settled down and he had more time to devote it.

He studied it from afar, noting how its current dull luster belied the mystery of its mineralogical origin. After a moment, he merely shrugged and went back to his reading. The boring article notwithstanding, he found himself distracted once again. It was as if the stone were staring at him, daring him to look up and pay it some mind. His curiosity got the better of him and he returned his gaze to the object.

The more he stared at it, the more he realized something about it wasn't sitting right with him, as if some sort of energy were emanating from it. He could just feel it. It also seemed to be accompanied by a low frequency hum.

A grin slowly spread across his face. “What are you up to, my little treasure?” he muttered, his tone a mixture of amusement and curiosity. The hum seemed to grow a little louder as if in response. The Doctor's eyes narrowed as he studied it. Yes, this was quite interesting.

“Sarah?” he suddenly called out, briefly taking his attention off the stone.

He was met with no answer. Risking a glance at his watch, he frowned. It was already half past ten. Surely she would have been here by now.

“Ah, Doctor. What's going on?” Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart greeted as he stepped into the lab.

“Brigadier, have you seen Sarah yet this morning?”

The Brigadier furrowed his brow in thought. “No, she hasn't checked in yet.” He then turned as Warrant Officer Benton and Doctor Harry Sullivan came walking past. “Have either of you seen Miss Smith?”

“No, Sir, I haven't.”

“What's all this about Miss Smith?” Harry asked.

“She hasn't shown up yet, Harry,” the Doctor said. “You haven't seen or heard from her, have you?”

“No, can't say that I have,” he replied. “Haven't seen her since she left last night.”

“I'll try phoning her,” the Brigadier said. He headed for the telephone and dialed her number, but from the sound of it no one was picking up. “No answer,” he said grimly as he hung up.

The Doctor frowned. “What's happened to her …?”

His eyes widened as a memory suddenly struck him. Sarah had seemed to have taken an interest in the stone not long after Jamie had brought it here. At the time, the Doctor hadn't given it much thought. Thanks to the energy frequency he'd just discovered emanating from it, he now wondered if there was any connection. Could she have touched it at any time before she'd left yesterday, causing her to vanish?

No, that was ridiculous. After all, _he_ hadn't disappeared, and neither had anyone else at HQ who had seen it.

Unless the stone had some sort of particular interest in her ...

He turned to find the UNIT men regarding him curiously. “What are you thinking, Doc?” Benton asked.

“Sarah is missing,” he replied, turning back to the stone and eyeing it grimly. “And I believe this stone may have something to do with it.”

“I say, Doctor, do you realize how daft that sounds?” Harry scoffed. “How could a silly little stone be responsible for Miss Smith's disappearance?”

“But, you see, Harry, it's not just a 'silly little stone.'” The Doctor's eyes narrowed as his gaze returned to the object. “This stone is giving off some sort of energy. Can't you hear it?”

The others took a few steps closer and their brows furrowed in concentration as they stood perfectly still, gazing at the stone. The Doctor felt his hearts sink and sighed as they merely shook their heads and shrugged. The Brigadier's patience appeared to be wearing thin.

“I'm telling you, there is something wrong with this stone,” the Time Lord insisted.

“What's wrong, Doctor, is that you are paying needless attention to a … mere paperweight while Miss Smith could be in danger,” The Brigadier retorted. “I'm going to have a look outside. Come along, Benton.”

“Right, Sir.”

As the two men left, the Doctor found that Harry hadn't budged. He appeared a bit skeptical, but perhaps he was coming around. “You really think this stone is responsible for Sarah having gone missing?” he asked.

“If not entirely responsible, then I believe it plays a large part. I'm going to need to study it further, figure out what's going on with this low frequency energy signal.” The Doctor moved closer to the stone, his brow furrowing in concentration as he listened for the sound again. “It's like a low hum.” Taking his eyes off it for a moment, he gestured for Harry to join him. “Come on. Get close to it and _really_ listen,” he prompted, his voice barely above a whisper.

Harry stepped closer and bent slightly, appearing as if trying to listen. After a moment his eyes widened. “Oh, my,” he muttered. “You're right! It's very soft, but I can hear it.”

“Yes, Harry,” the Doctor confirmed with a wide grin. “This little thing isn't some mere, innocent paperweight as the Brigadier seems to think. We must study it further. I believe it could end up the key to finding out what happened to Sarah.”

“I hope you're right,” Harry said, his voice tinged with worry.

Silently, the Doctor agreed with him. All he could do now was give a slight nod as he directed his attention back on the object.

 

* * *

 

Jamie and Kathryn's first full day of their honeymoon began with a relaxing morning for breakfast and then taking in some sights. They had toured St. Ive's and the Cotswolds, both lovely areas, and then decided on a tour of the ruins at Tintagel Castle. Kathryn had always been intrigued by the King Arthur legends and was quite eager to explore them. Not surprisingly, Jamie hadn't been familiar with them but seemed interested enough as well once she had told him about it.

They were near the end of the tour when Kathryn briefly stopped to take a photo of the castle ruins and then turned to find Jamie gazing up at them, almost mesmerized. A fond smile quickly spread across her face as she walked up to him and laid a hand on his shoulder.

Jamie was apparently not expecting the touch and jumped slightly.

Kathryn offered an apologetic smile. “Sorry.” She then looked up at the crumbling structure. “Fascinating, isn't it?”

“Aye,” Jamie replied. “Visiting old places like this, 'specially in this century ...” He'd suddenly lowered his voice and leaned into her. “It almost makes me wonder what the castles which were a part of my life in the Highlands look like now. I think I'm glad we didnae go there fer our honeymoon.” The corner of his mouth twitched into a rueful grin.

Kathryn laughed softly. “I can just imagine how awkward you would feel,” she conceded.

Jamie nodded. “I'd almost feel as if I were walkin' over my own grave.” He gave a little shudder, causing Kathryn to giggle sympathetically. He then grinned and gave her a little wink before his expression softened and he gazed at her fondly. “Ye're enjoyin' this, eh?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, this place, an' our time here taegether in general,” he said. “Ye're havin' a splendid time, I hope?”

She smiled. “Of course I am, silly.” She emphasized her point with a soft kiss to his cheek. Her smile widened as she watched Jamie beam in response.

“Come on. We'd best no' get separated from the rest of the group, eh?” he told her, a bit of a teasing grin on his face.

Kathryn felt a blush creep into her cheeks as she looked around, noticing their tour group had already moved on. Or, mostly moved on, as she found another tourist several yards away staring at them.

The woman appeared to be in her fifties with long, thick, black hair, deeply set green eyes, and a long, prominent nose. She wore a long, dark rose colored peasant-style dress and had a kerchief of similar color tied around her head. Her outfit combined with her physical appearance and the gaudy jewelry she wore made her seem a bit eccentric, like one of those ladies you'd find at a fortune teller's booth at a fair. She began to walk slowly in their direction, her gaze never leaving them. She seemed to take a particular interest in Kathryn especially.

Kathryn quickly turned to Jamie and found he'd noticed as well. He smiled awkwardly at the woman, giving her a little nod as she approached. Kathryn met her gaze and managed a shy smile.

“My dear, forgive me,” the woman said, a bit of a Welsh accent to her voice, “but I sensed these strong vibrations coming from you.”

Kathryn regarded her oddly, furrowing her brow. What on Earth was she talking about?

Jamie quirked an eyebrow at the woman. “Eh?” he uttered, sounding baffled.

She gave them a smile which seemed apologetic in nature. “I'm not sure you'll understand. I'm what is known as a sensitive. Earlier in the tour I had picked up on an unusual amount of energy coming from your direction.”

“Is that … bad?” Kathryn asked, confused.

“I'm not sure,” the woman replied, her tone a bit hesitant as she narrowed her eyes in concentration. She stepped even closer to Kathryn, getting a little too much in her personal space for comfort.

Fortunately, Jamie seemed to have noticed and stepped closer to her, trying to get in between her and the strange woman. “Look, I don' think my wife is verra comfortable at the moment. Would ye mind leavin' us be?”

The woman continued to stare at her, wide-eyed, almost as if she were staring into her soul. Kathryn tried hard to avoid her gaze, hoping the woman would take the hint but she didn't seem intent on budging. Kathryn instinctively took a step back and nearly fell backwards due to the lack of ample ground behind her. Turning her head quickly, she realized she was on the edge of a hill. Panic rising inside her, she began flailing her arms wildly.

Jamie quickly grabbed hold her of her and steadied her, guiding her away from the edge and causing the woman to move back at the same time. Catching her breath finally, Kathryn heaved a sigh of relief as she turned and eyed him gratefully.

After a quick smile of reassurance, Jamie turned back to the woman, his expression a bit impatient. “Ah said, would ye mind leavin' us be?” he repeated sternly.

The woman finally seemed to shake herself out of her trance. “Oh dear, I'm sorry,” she said to him before regarding Kathryn once again. “I was just trying to make sense of this energy I'm picking up from ya.”

Kathryn felt a nervous giggle bubble up from her stomach. “That's all right, but I'd be lying if I said you weren't making me a bit concerned now. I don't know much about these energies or vibrations and what they mean.”

“Oh, it's nothin' bad, my dear,” the woman said, shaking her head almost insistently. “I've interacted with people who were highly sensitive – empathic if you will – and those who weren't.” She narrowed her eyes in thought once again. “But the energy coming off yourself is not something I've encountered before.” She sighed and then shook her head. “I don't believe it's anything to worry about.” She forced a smile as she turned back to Kathryn. “You've just got some unique energy there. Who knows. Could end up bein' a good thing.”

Kathryn nodded, dumbfounded.

“Once again I apologize for the intrusion. My name is Enid, by the way.” She offered her hand to them.

Kathryn managed a weak smile as she shook the woman's hand. “I'm Kathryn and this is my husband, Jamie,” she said, gesturing towards Jamie who nodded and gave the woman an awkward smile.

“Lovely to meet you,” she told them with a toothy grin.

“Nice tae meet you,” Jamie returned. “Well, we'd best be on our way. We've got a few more places we'd like tae visit today. Ye see, we're on our honeymoon.”

“Oh, many blessings and congratulations to you!” she told them warmly, shaking their hands once again.

“Thank you,” they muttered in unison before heading off to find the rest of their tour group, who were probably long gone now.

* * *

 

The Doctor frowned in concentration as he closely studied Jamie's stone. He'd found a quite unique organic signature attached to it that left him utterly perplexed. His suspicions that it was emitting a signal had been confirmed. What was this signal all about? That was still going to take time. Time, however, might be something Sarah didn't have, especially depending on the circumstances of her disappearance. What he really needed was more information regarding the object's origin.

His train of thought was interrupted by Harry entering the lab. “Doctor?” he prompted.

“I was right, Harry,” the Doctor told him. “This little stone is emitting a signal of sorts. It's also got a curious organic signature.”

“Meaning what?”

The Doctor sighed, frustrated. “I'm still not certain. I found traces of an interesting carbon enriched compound on the underside, but I'm still quite in the dark as to what this signal is about. I really need more information regarding its origin.” An idea suddenly struck him and his eyes widened. “Harry, go get the Brigadier for me.”

“Right-o,” Harry snapped out and turned to leave.

The Doctor suddenly held out a hand to stop him. “Oh, and tell him to get Jamie.”

Harry started to nod and then did a double take, stopping short. He met the Doctor's gaze, appearing baffled. “Isn't he on his honeymoon, Doctor?” he asked incredulously. “I very much doubt he wishes to be disturbed --”

“This is important, Harry,” the Doctor interrupted impatiently. “We need to find Sarah and we may not have much time. We don't know how she disappeared or who has taken her. Depending on what exactly this stone is, they could be hostile. Jamie is the one who brought it here in the first place. He may be the one piece we need to solve the mystery.” Taking a deep breath, he considered it some more. “All right. Perhaps we don't require his presence, but I do need to get in contact with him. Any information he can share about this object might be to our advantage.”

“How are you even going to reach him?”

“The Brigadier gave him a communicator to take with him,” the Doctor replied, grabbing his own communication device and holding it up.

“Oh. But, Doctor, I really don't think he'll be pleased about you interrupt --”

“Harry,” the Doctor persisted in a warning tone.

“Righty-o,” Harry muttered awkwardly before turning on his heel and leaving the room.

The Doctor leaned forward, scrubbing his hands over his face as he gazed in frustration upon the object. Perhaps it was rash of him to want to disturb Jamie during this special time in his life. But Sarah's life could very well be at stake. Any little bit of information could help, and time was of the essence.

 

* * *

 

Sitting back on the bed, Kathryn tried to read the small book in her hands but the glorious late-afternoon view from the bedroom window kept distracting her. Her mind had begun to wander, replaying the events of the day. She and Jamie had also spent some time at Newquay Zoo and taken in a show at an open-air amphitheater. Of course, the ruins at Tintagel had been quite spectacular.

That last thought brought her attention back to the object she was holding. While at the gift shop, she had purchased a small book about crystals and energies. She didn't really buy into stuff like this, but after their encounter with the strange woman she couldn't help being just a bit curious.

She was now midway through a chapter on auras and her brow furrowed as she considered the information presented within. What had Enid told her – she had some 'unique energy'? What on Earth did that mean? Sadly, this book didn't seem to be much help.

Finally she sighed and shook her head. Perhaps the woman was just a crackpot. She decided to put it out of her mind once and for all.

She tossed the book onto the edge of the bed and looked up at the sound of nearing footsteps. Jamie smiled at her and then seemed to notice the book. “Did ye find anything interesting in there?” he asked.

“No, not really,” she replied with a shake of her head. “It's a bit frustrating after what that woman said.”

Jamie looked at her thoughtfully as he sat down next to her. “Aye, she said ye got 'unique energy.' Mebbe that could mean somethin'.” The corner of his mouth lifted into a rakish grin as he waggled his eyebrows at her.

Feigning annoyance, Kathryn rolled her eyes. “And how did I know you were going to go there?”

“Hey, I cannae help it,” he replied, giving an innocent shrug. “You inspire me, lass.”

Kathryn rolled her eyes again before swatting him playfully across the chest with the book. Her annoyed expression failed upon seeing the hurt pout he was giving her and she lowered her head to her chest, dissolving into giggles.

“Mebbe she's jus' a complete nutter,” Jamie offered.

Kathryn froze mid-nod and regarded him curiously. “Wait, I thought you were something of a believer of the supernatural, hailing from the Scottish Highlands with all those legends and stuff.”

Jamie blushed faintly and gave another tiny shrug. “Aye, but that doesnae mean I buy intae _all_ of it.”

“So, auras and energies are nonsense, but a Bean Nighe is real,” she said with a smirk.

“Aye, exactly,” Jamie deadpanned for a moment before his face cracked open in a grin and he winked at her. “Look, don' think too deeply aboot it, eh?” He leaned over, kissing her lips softly.

“All right,” she told him with a nod once he'd moved back. She decided it wasn't worth agonizing over. More than anything, she wanted to enjoy the rest of their time together in this beautiful place.

Smiling, Jamie neared her once again, taking her into his arms. He'd leaned his forehead up against hers and seemed about to kiss her when a faint, beeping sound suddenly pierced the room. He moved back in alarm and Kathryn looked around the room, wondering where it was coming from. She watched as Jamie's expression turned to one of consternation and he quickly rose from the bed.

“Jamie, what is that?”

He failed to answer her and sifted through his suitcase until he grabbed hold of a familiar object. Kathryn felt a sense of dread envelope her as she realized it was one of those communicators from UNIT. She hadn't even known Jamie had brought it. Her curiosity as to why they were contacting him was eclipsed by her growing discontent over the fact. She had really been hoping they could have some time to themselves. After all, it was their honeymoon, which was a very special time for the two of them.

She mentally tried to calm herself and let Jamie tell her what was going on. Perhaps it wasn't anything serious, although the length of time he was talking to them seemed to belie that assumption. He had moved into the bathroom and was speaking in tones too soft for her to make out.

Finally, he had turned off the device and returned to the bedroom, eyeing her apologetically for a moment before a sense of urgency seemed to overtake him.

“Jamie, what happened?”

Jamie sighed, raking a hand through his hair and tossing it back from his face. He put the communicator back in his suitcase and seemed to be searching the room for something.

“Jamie,” she persisted.

Finally he stopped and gazed at her worriedly. “Sarah Jane has disappeared. The Doctor believes she was kidnapped.”

“What?”

“Aye, she never showed up this mornin'.” He then began rooting through the dresser drawers, grabbing his clothes and putting them away in his suitcase.

“What are you doing?”

“We've got tae go back tae London,” he replied, not bothering to look back at her as he gathered more of his things.

Kathryn stared at him, completely baffled. “You're joking, aren't you?”

He finally stopped to look at her and shook his head. “No, I'm no', lass,” he replied gravely

She uttered a sound of disbelief as he didn't wait for an answer and resumed his packing. “Jamie, this is our honeymoon.”

He sighed. “I know. I tried tae tell them so, but the Doctor insisted he needed my help.”

Kathryn couldn't help feeling as if she wanted to throttle the Doctor, even despite the fact she'd admired him over the past few years. She bit her lip and frowned at Jamie. “I was really enjoying myself here and enjoying being with you, alone.”

Jamie finally paused and eyed her contritely. “I'll make it up to ye, I promise.”

Her overwhelming emotions made his offer seem halfhearted at best. “We only get one honeymoon, Jamie, despite all that 'second honeymoon' nonsense.” She approached him closer. “We hardly have any alone time. So much of your time is taken up with these … people,” she said, spitting out the last word in disgust.

Jamie looked almost stricken. “That's no' true,” he insisted.

“Isn't it? Why do you have to go back there, anyway? Why does the Doctor need your help so badly? Aren't the UNIT men enough?”

“The Doctor thinks that stone I found for ye might have somethin' tae do wi' Sarah having gone missing. I cannae help feelin' a wee bit responsible.”

“What?!” Kathryn took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. She'd remembered the stone Jamie had found in their garden, the strange, grayish stone that turned all sorts of beautiful colors in the light. He had given it to her as a gift. Its strangeness began to concern him and he decided to show it to the Doctor, promising he'd bring it right back.

“Wait, what does the stone have to do with Sarah?” she asked, shaking her head as if to clear it.

“Once I'd brought it to the Doctor, Sarah had seen it an' kept talkin' aboot how pretty it was. She asked tae look at it a wee bit, an --”

“You gave it to her??” Kathryn interrupted, a bit surprised at the vehemence in her voice.

Some rather nasty, deeply buried feelings of jealousy suddenly began rising like bile in her throat. She had been at UNIT HQ the day the Doctor had “changed,” having arrived a bit early to meet Jamie for lunch and had found them in the lab. The Doctor was on the floor and Sarah was next to him, appearing grief-stricken. Although she'd stayed out of sight, Kathryn had seen Jamie take Sarah into his arms. She knew he was an affectionate bloke in general, but couldn't help feeling just a little jealous as she shuffled away down the corridor. When Jamie had finally met up with her to leave, he'd apparently picked up on her discontent. Kathryn merely brushed it off, shaking her head. Now those feelings had resurfaced with a vengeance.

Jamie turned to her, shocked. “What? No, of course not.” Seeming to recover, he eyed her incredulously. “Ye're no' j _ealous_ , are ye?”

Kathryn felt an uncomfortable warmth rising into her cheeks but she held her ground. “I saw you holding her while the Doctor was changing. Have you got feelings for her, Jamie?”

She got some sick pleasure watching Jamie's jaw nearly fall to the floor. Some tiny part of her was appalled by her irrational behavior, but the disbelief and near anger over his forgoing their honeymoon over these people was more than she could handle.

“I cannae believe ye're even thinking this,” Jamie told her, his voice filled with hurt and disbelief. “We jus' got married. Why would ye ever think so poorly of me tae expect me tae be unfaithful to ye??”

Kathryn merely stood, arms folded, fixing him with an icy glare. “You tell me, McCrimmon,” she replied coldly.

Jamie stood frozen for a moment and then uttered a sound of disbelief before glaring back at her. “I'm no' like that ruddy bastard ye dated,” he said angrily. “Do ye think all men are that way? Goin' outta their way tae hurt ye on purpose? Mebbe the problem is you, lass. Do ye hear me? It's _you_.”

The stinging barb made Kathryn feel as if she were kicked in the chest. Eyes widened and teeth clenched, nothing could stop her as she quickly reached out to slap Jamie in the face.

Jamie's hand immediately went to his cheek and he stared at her, eyes colored with shock and pain, and his jaw set in anger. He didn't move for several moments and then finally turned on his heel, storming out of the room. She heard heavy footsteps down the corridor and then the front door to the cottage slamming heavily.

The full magnitude of what had just happened hit her and she'd burst into tears. In desperate need to talk to someone, she phoned Polly. Neither she nor Ben had picked up. Kathryn had nearly dialed Victoria's number but in the end decided not to bother. What would any of them think of her after what had just transpired between her and Jamie?

In futility she decided to leave the cottage as well, thinking some fresh air might help. As she traversed the path leading around the cottage and back down the side of the cliff, she breathed in the fresh, sea air. It did feel quite good, but didn't do much to lessen her distress.

She'd soon discovered a lovely, tree lined path and decided to walk it. There were various shrubs and other attractive flora along the way that she had stopped to appreciate. She hadn't seen any sign of Jamie and at the moment she didn't care; she was still upset with him. Perhaps they were both acting a bit rash with his insistence on going back to London to help the Doctor and her feelings of jealousy towards Sarah. She soon felt guilt begin eating away at her over that, especially regarding any assumptions about the way Jamie felt about the other woman.

She really did need to find him and talk about this. Would he even want to speak to her, though? The look on his face when she'd asked if he had feelings for Sarah haunted her. He seemed so hurt and she realized she had been unfair. Damn it, why couldn't she even give him a chance to explain himself? Her anger over their honeymoon being interrupted was eclipsing everything and making her act like an irrational, spoiled brat.

Taking a deep breath, she finally decided to head back to the cottage. Wherever Jamie had gone, hopefully he would cool off some and head back there as well. She turned around and began walking the way she'd come. After several yards, however, the scenery began to look unfamiliar. She had turned somewhere, hadn't she? If only she could remember …

Stopping next to a large, shady tree, she tried to get her bearings and figure out which direction she needed to take. Looking to the northeast, something clicked and her question was answered.

She was about to head in that direction when she suddenly felt someone reach out and grab her from behind. She struggled against the person's firm grip and tried to scream, but another hand covered her mouth. The last thing she felt was something hard striking the back of her head. Her scream died in her throat as her consciousness ebbed away.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I know this ran a little long and the drama was a bit OTT. I wouldn't blame any of you if you hate Kathryn right now, lol. I promise she will be redeemed later on and things will right themselves. How that will happen? Well, I'm not going to say. But you'll find out! In the meantime, here is a badly photoshopped image of Kathryn and Jamie at the ruins of Tintagel Castle.


	4. Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know that Jamie's faith or lack thereof in the Doctor seems almost inconsistent, but I chalk it up to his being so worried about Kathryn. I'm also trying to involve Harry in it a bit more. I've included a picture of him and Jamie at the end. He's trying to console Jamie and ends up revealing something in the process.

Jamie wasn't sure how long he'd been gone, exactly. The fact the sun had slipped a bit lower in the sky seemed to reveal it had been longer than he'd expected. He'd taken a walk along the water's edge, following it straight down until he reached the widest part of the sandy crescent of the beach.

He'd hoped the walk would help clear his head, but in truth it hadn't done much good at all. He was still in almost total disbelief over the argument between himself and Kathryn. He was also quite hurt by her assumption that he had feelings for Sarah when he couldn't have been more committed to Kathryn herself. They just got married, for goodness sake.

Recalling what she had told him about that fateful day the Doctor changed, he didn't know she had arrived at UNIT HQ so early and had witnessed him comforting Sarah. It would explain her behavior when he finally met up with her, though.

He still didn't understand what reason she had to be jealous. It wasn't as if he had spent a lot of time with Sarah, or that Kathryn had seen them together at all. He considered the other woman a friend and nothing more.

Still, he felt responsible for her disappearance. He was the one who had found the stone and brought it to HQ. He was the one who allowed Sarah to look at it. If this little thing had special powers and had caused her to disappear, it was his fault. He needed to help them figure this out and get her back safely.

A realization suddenly hit him and he groaned. Kathryn wasn't happy that all his time seemed to be taken up by “these people”, as she had put it. Perhaps she was right. They hadn't been spending a whole lot of time together recently, mostly due to what happened to the Doctor on Metabelis 3 and the radiation poisoning leading to his regeneration. Then there was that nasty robot business.

Several times they had had plans to go out after work that had to be postponed. Kathryn didn't seem too pleased but hadn't said very much. It was now clear this had built up inside her for some time. Perhaps Jamie should have paid more attention, but he had been so distracted by all that was going on.

It was bad enough she'd worried they would have to postpone their wedding but Jamie had assured her it wouldn't happen. Luckily, by this time things had calmed down. The fact remained however that they hadn't spent much time alone together at all.

Jamie angrily kicked a large pebble, sending it flying into the water with a _sploosh!_. What kind of husband was he? He couldn't even give her a proper honeymoon! Why had he been so insistent on heading back to London, anyway? The Doctor and UNIT seemed content for him to provide them with as much information on the stone as he could. He could have simply shared it via the communicator. He wouldn't even have had worry about whether anyone else could hear. They were in their own little remote cottage by the sea, not some cramped hotel room with paper-thin walls.

He really needed to apologize to her. Neither of them were innocent in this whole thing and they needed to talk and clear the air. As he made the trek back to the cottage, he wondered whether Kathryn would want anything to do with him at the moment. After all, she had been quite angry and upset. He didn't blame her but hoped she would give him half a chance to explain himself.

In short time, the cottage came into view and Jamie breathed a sigh of relief, feeling his mouth twitch into a slight smile. Traversing the slate stepping stones leading to the front door, he'd nearly expected to find Kathryn sitting out on the deck or at least waiting in the doorway. Jamie felt his smile fade as he discovered she was not there and nearly wanted to kick himself for even assuming that in the first place.

Entering the house, he poked his head inside the living area and frowned upon finding it empty.

“Kathryn?” he called out.

Receiving no answer, he headed for the bedroom and bathroom which also turned up empty. Jamie felt his heart speed up as panic began rising inside him. He frantically searched every nook and cranny inside the cottage, but she was nowhere to be seen.

“All right, Jamie, calm yerself. Get yer breath,” he spoke aloud, scrubbing his hands across his face. “Mebbe she jus' went for a walk.” He sauntered back to the living room and sat heavily down on the sofa. “She'll be back shortly.”

A mere two minutes had passed and he was back on his feet again, pacing the room madly. A pit formed in his stomach as he considered the possibility she could be in danger as well. Without a second thought, he rushed back outside the cottage and circled the entire surrounding area, calling out to Kathryn.

Once again, he was met with no answer and there was neither hide nor hair of her to be found. Jamie tried to keep himself from panicking further as he tried to think where she could have gone. She couldn't have gone walking in the same direction he had; he would have seen her at some point. He then recalled having seen a nice path lined with trees in the other direction some yards behind the cottage. It bordered a wooded area and Kathryn had seemed to take an interest in it during their taxi ride out here. He could certainly see her exploring this area.

As Jamie quickly headed for the path, he silently prayed he would find her here, preferably unharmed.

* * *

 

Having returned to the cottage, Jamie removed the communicator from his luggage, his hands trembling somewhat as they moved over the switches. His search for Kathryn along the wooded path proving fruitless, he had decided to ask the cottage owner if he'd perchance seen her. The older man had given him an apologetic smile as he shook his head.

Jamie had done all he could not to lose his composure in front of the man, but he was out of options. The man then kindly suggested phoning the police and allowed the young Scot – who was quite annoyed with himself for overlooking such common sense – to use his phone. The police had started a search and instructed Jamie to go back to the cottage; they would contact him whenever they had any information.

Feeling utterly lost, Jamie had gone back and just sunk onto the bed. Gazing at it he realized not twelve hours earlier, he and Kathryn had laid here in each other's arms, taking in the glorious morning sunrise. They had kissed and done most of the things newly married couples had done, and it had felt so wonderful. Kathryn had told him again how very much she loved being here and how she loved him.

The pit inside him grew deeper, supplemented by his feelings of despair and regret over what had happened since then. She was gone and it was his fault. Although the police had begun a search and would be in touch with him, he didn't have much faith she would turn up. He wasn't sure where else to turn.

He briefly took his forlorn gaze off the bed and noticed his suitcase lying open on the floor in the corner. The communicator was sticking out and it finally hit Jamie: He had to let the Doctor and UNIT know. Perhaps in some way, they could help. To what extent he wasn't sure, but at the moment he was so desperate he'd try anything.

Fortunately, it didn't take long for the screen to flicker to life and the placid countenance of the Brigadier to appear.

“Ah, McCrimmon.” The corner of his mouth twitched into a faint smile. “How goes the honeymoon?”

Jamie tried a smile but it didn't quite make it to his face. “Not good at the moment,” he replied. Embarrassed about how raw his voice sounded, he cleared his throat. “Er, Kathryn is missing.”

“What?” the Brigadier replied after a beat.

Jamie sighed and smoothed his hair back from his eyes. “Aye. We had an argument earlier an' I'd left fer a bit. When I got back, she was gone –“

“Jamie, this is the Doctor,” a familiar face suddenly exclaimed, rushing into view and nearly pushing the Brigadier away. “Kathryn is missing, you say? What happened?”

Jamie bit his lip to prevent himself from making a sarcastic comment; he was not too pleased with the Doctor at the moment and really didn't feel like repeating what he had just said.

Fortunately, the Brigadier saved him the trouble.”He said he'd taken off after an argument and she was gone when he returned.”

“Oh, dear,” the Doctor muttered grimly.

“Aye,” Jamie replied, his tone matching the Time Lord's. “I searched the entire cottage for her an' the grounds. Even asked the owner if he'd seen her but he hadnae. I phoned the police an' they started a search but they havenae found her.” He sighed again, lowering his gaze. “I feel terrible. 'Tis all my fault.”

The Doctor had a small smile that seemed sympathetic in nature. “Jamie, don't blame yourself. It's a pointless exercise.”

“But --”

The Doctor's eyes suddenly widened. “I've got an idea.” He then regarded Jamie almost curiously. “Were you planning on returning to London?”

“Aye, I'm gannae try an' take the next train back.”

“Don't. We'll come out to you. I have a feeling we should search the surrounding area a bit more.”

“But, Doctor, I already looked there an' couldnae find her! The police can't seem tae find her either ...”

“Ah, but that's only because none of you have what you need!”

“What's that?”

“My train of thought, my dear Scotsman,” the Doctor replied with a grin.

His face was gone from view and it sounded as if he were discussing something with the Brigadier. The latter finally reappeared and Jamie could make out the Doctor behind him, humming away as he seemed to be gathering materials. The Brigadier had briefly regarded him with a raised eyebrow before turning back to Jamie.

“McCrimmon, we're on our way. Stay where you are.”

Jamie nodded and quickly blurted out the location of the cottage. The Brigadier made note of it before the video transmission finally ended.

Placing the communicator heavily back onto the bed, Jamie sat with his head in his hands. Regret and worry had festered inside the pit of his stomach, threatening to completely overwhelm him. Suddenly they were both eclipsed by a new feeling: curiosity. Jamie felt his brow furrow in confusion as he thought back to what the Doctor had said moments ago.

_My train of thought, my dear Scotsman._

His train of thought? What was he on about? Part of him decided cynically that it was just a side effect of the Doctor's scrambled brain and persona still relatively soon after his regeneration, that it wouldn't amount to anything helpful.

But another small part of him still believed in the Doctor. It was never a good idea to underestimate him; he had come through for them time and again. Now was not the time to doubt him. He couldn't help feeling so pessimistic regarding what had happened to Kathryn, but maybe, just maybe, the Doctor was onto something.

As he sat and waited for them to arrive, Jamie really hoped so.

 

* * *

 

The first thing Kathryn noticed when she woke up was the sheer darkness of the area in which she now found herself. It was broken only by what appeared to be crude lanterns a short distance away and lit torches and candles ensconced on the walls. The floor underneath her was no more than a moist, finely-packed dirt.

A sudden, sharp twinge of pain reached the base of her skull and it suddenly dawned on her that she'd been hit on the back of the head at some point. It all came back to her now: the big argument she and Jamie had had, culminating in his storming out of the cottage. She had taken a walk herself and happened upon that tree-lined path. She had decided to return to the cottage when someone had attacked her from behind.

The sharp pain had dulled to an annoying ache and she tried to reach behind to see if her head was bruised, but something was keeping her from doing so. Her gaze dropped to her wrists and she found they were held fast by shackles. She had been shackled to a wall made of some dark, hard material: whether it was brick or stone, the darkness kept it a mystery. Turning back around, she saw the unmistakable view of prison bars in front of her.

She struggled against her bonds, hoping they would loosen somehow and set her free. They certainly appeared old and rusty enough. She'd also noticed her ankles had been shackled to the floor as well. Why on Earth had she been brought here? And by whom?

“Ah, you are awake at last,” a deep, raspy voice suddenly spoke.

Kathryn squinted against the darkness as she tried to make out her captor. He was a thin man of pale complexion – or at least he seemed to be a man. She swallowed hard and began to feel fear welling up inside her as she took in his appearance. His skin was a grayish tan color and was rather shriveled but pulled tautly across his cheeks, much like the skin of a drum. He almost resembled the mummies in photos she'd seen in magazine articles. His sunken, deeply set eyes were a dull blue and his short, gray hair framed his face in the manner of an old rug. His lips were thin and reptile-like. She couldn't tell much about his expression to decide whether he was friendly or sinister.

“Who are you? Why have I been brought here?” she demanded.

“I am Nathar,” he replied. “We are the Grom.”

Kathryn furrowed her brow in confusion. “Is this your home?”

Nathar nodded. “This is our lair. We have lived here for many millennia, completely hidden from your people. We have peacefully lived beside you or, rather, beneath you, all this time. We have not had any need to seek you out. Until now.”

Kathryn simply gazed at him, confused.

Nathar briefly looked at the wizened flesh on his arm and then back at her. “This is not our true form. We are much more pleasing to the eyes with the aid of the Life Stone.”

“The 'Life Stone'?” Kathryn repeated incredulously.

“Yes. It is an object rather dull in appearance until it meets the light, in which it sparkles with many colors. It is our life source. Its absence turns us into this wretched form. Without it, we shall soon die.”

A realization smacked Kathryn upside the head. The 'Life Stone.' It was that stone Jamie had found. The one he had given to her and the one he'd shown the Doctor. Sarah Jane had taken such a liking to it, and she was now gone.

Just as Kathryn herself was.

“So this is why you brought me here? You thought I'd stolen this stone from you?”

Nathar held her gaze. “The Stone has a homing beacon attached to it. Some time ago, it had picked up on you, but for only a brief moment. It led us to believe you were associated with the one who had taken it.”

“The one who had taken it? You mean, Sarah?”

“If that is the other female's name, then yes. The beacon had picked up on her as well. It fed us images of her holding the Stone.”

“But ...” Kathryn trailed off as she watched Nathar pick up a torch and walk towards what appeared to be some sort of elevated platform. He'd picked up an object atop the platform and when he approached her cell once again, she got a good look at it.

It was the stone.

She regarded him in confusion. “I don't understand. You've got it, right there.” She pointed to the stone.

Nathar shook his head. “It is merely one of the Life Stones. There are two, and we require both in order for the life source to pour forth and nourish us.”

For a moment Kathryn allowed herself to feel just an ounce of pity for these creatures, but she still had to get to the bottom of what was going on. Why had they captured her, here in Cornwall? She stopped to realize she didn't know exactly where 'here' was, now. She could be miles away from there, perhaps not even in England but in a completely different area altogether.

“So why are you holding me here? You assumed I would feed you information about Sarah? Help you locate her if you believed she was the one who had stolen it from you?” She narrowed her eyes in defiance. “Well, I've got nothing to tell you. And I've no idea where she is. Now, let me go!” She struggled once again to free herself from the shackles.

“Don't even try to escape,” a tired voice suddenly uttered a short distance to her left. “There's no way out.”

Furrowing her brow in confusion, Kathryn turned in its direction and found an identical cell next to her own. The captive turned to face her and she could make out the dirty, haggard face of Sarah Jane Smith.

 

* * *

 

Jamie sighed as he sat glumly at the bench inside the UNIT lab. He didn't think they were any closer to finding Kathryn, let alone Sarah. When the Doctor and UNIT had first arrived in Cornwall, the Time Lord had brought a slew of equipment with him as well as scientific data, eager to get to the bottom of this. Jamie had told him of the wooded path Kathryn liked and had led him down there. Unfortunately, they hadn't turned up anything useful. The Doctor had muttered something about traces of an 'enriched carbon compound.' He told them it matched the one he'd discovered on the underside of the stone.

Jamie had no idea if that was supposed to help them or not. The Doctor sounded optimistic as he and Harry had taken samples along that path of the dirt, plants and even the air. He'd told Jamie he believed something useful would come out of all this; he'd had a 'feeling' about it.

Jamie scoffed. As if that were really going to help them. The tiny part of him which still believed in the Doctor scolded him for thinking this way, but Kathryn had been gone for over five hours now; potentially longer. What if she was in real danger?

His ruminations were interrupted by the sound of another stool being scraped across the floor. Jamie turned to his right and found Harry Sullivan seated next to him, regarding him in concern.

Jamie acknowledged him with a soft grunt.

“Just wanted to make you aware the Doctor thinks he's onto something,” Harry told him.

Jamie rolled his eyes. “That's wha' he said an hour ago,” he grumbled.

He caught a hint of an amused grin on Harry's face as he shook his head. “I know, old chap. I know.” His grin faded and his concerned expression was back. “We will find them; Sarah and Kathryn. You know that, don't you?”

Jamie uttered a humorless chuckle. “I don' know what tae think anymore.”

Harry frowned. “Oh, come now! Chin up. I know it may not appear that way, but I'm just as concerned about them as you are.” Jamie regarded him dubiously. “No, honestly I am. Kathryn is a sweet girl. I see how happy she makes you. And I certainly can't get along without the Old Girl.” His mouth twitched into a lopsided grin.

Jamie allowed himself a faint grin of amusement for just a moment before it faded upon the surface of a rather unpleasant memory. “Did ye know when we had that argument, Kathryn had asked me if I had feelin's for Sarah?”

Harry appeared nonplussed. “Why?”

“Well, I'd given the stone tae Kathryn an' when I brought it here for the Doctor tae study, Sarah had been so interested in it. She thought it was pretty. Kathryn found out an' assumed I jus' gave it to her. An' then there's the fact she'd seen me holding Sarah when the Doctor was first changing.”

Harry stared at him, slack-jawed. “B-But you both just got married,” he said incredulously. “Why the devil would she think you had romantic feelings for Sarah?”

Jamie merely shrugged, avoiding his gaze.

“Particularly when I'm the one who has feelings for her,” Harry said bluntly.

Jamie turned and regarded him in surprise.

Harry's cheeks had flushed and he awkwardly gazed at his hands. “As I said, I know it may not appear that way, but it's true. I just don't show it much because I didn't think a girl like her would take an interest in a chap like me, if you know what I mean.”

The side of Jamie's mouth twitched into a quick smile. Suddenly the Doctor, Brigadier and Benton rushed into the room.

“We're back!” the Doctor declared.

“Where were ye?” Jamie asked, brow furrowed in confusion.

He noticed the Doctor regarding him incredulously. “Where have you been all this time, Jamie?” he said, nearly flummoxed by Jamie's question. Jamie felt his cheeks grow hot. Had he been out of it this long not to notice what they were up to?

“We decided to expand our search for any traces of Miss Smith,” the Brigadier volunteered. “We happened to find something interesting one-quarter of a mile down the road.” He reached into his pocket and produced what appeared to be a hair clip.

“That's Sarah's!” Harry exclaimed.

“Yes indeed,” the Doctor replied. “We've collected some samples in the area just as we had done in Cornwall on Kathryn's path.” He placed several containers and bags down on the bench. “It's time for a little analysis to see if things match up. If they do, and I expect they will, I think we may have reached a breakthrough, gentlemen.” He grinned excitedly and then set to work, grabbing his equipment and setting it down.

Jamie watched as he grabbed his samples and set about analyzing each of them according to the sample type. He soon stifled a yawn, realizing how very exhausted he was after this trying day. Before long he'd sat with his arms folded atop the bench, resting his head on them. His last thought before he succumbed to sleep was that the Doctor's 'feeling' was correct and something would lead them closer to finding Kathryn and Sarah.

 

* * *

 

“Why did you think Sarah had taken the stone?” Kathryn asked Nathar. He wasn't very forthcoming with his information and she was getting quite frustrated.

She decided to change tactics. “How does your homing beacon work?”

“The stones are connected, even when apart,” Nathar replied. He then gestured to the stone in his hand. “This one was able to pick up the signal from the missing one.” He gaze suddenly turned accusatory and it made her nervous. “How did it come to be in your possession?”

“We just … found it! Lying on the ground!” Kathryn blurted. Nathar appeared skeptical and she groaned inwardly.

“It's true!” Sarah suddenly exclaimed. She had shared a quick look with Kathryn and turned back to Nathar. “We didn't know what it was, and so her husband ...” She pointed to Kathryn.

Nathar cocked his head in confusion, as if he were unfamiliar with the term.

“My mate,” Kathryn clarified. Understanding finally seemed to be reflected in Nathar's wizened face and he nodded.

“Yes, her mate had taken it to our friend to be studied,” Sarah continued. “That was all. Had we known what it was, we would not have touched it.”

Nathar's eyes narrowed. “I do not believe you,” he said flatly. “You had stolen it.”

“Oh, for heaven's stake, we did not steal it!!” Sarah insisted.

Kathryn nodded. “Of course not! Look at us. Do we look like someone who would intentionally steal something so valuable to you??” She quickly turned to face Sarah, the other woman's expression as desperate as her own.

Nathar seemed to study them for a moment, briefly assuming a thoughtful expression until his eyes darkened and his jaw set. “Some of the best thieves have innocent faces,” he replied. He had then turned to walk away.

“Oh, come on!”

“We must confer with our leader. Then we shall decide what your punishment must be,” he stated coldly.

“Punishment?” Kathryn repeated, her eyebrows nearly threatening to leap off her head.

But Nathar had since walked away, leaving the two women sharing a look of extreme frustration before turning away in defeat.

 

 


	5. Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Could not resist including a picture of Four and Jamie on the pursuit of Sarah and Kathryn. Has Jamie spotted something, perhaps ...?

Kathryn continued in vain to free herself of the shackles around her wrists. She had examined them, as well as the ones around her ankles, and found small keyholes on each. The actual shackles were so rusty and beaten up, she still had hope that the more she struggled against them, the sooner they would loosen and she'd be able to free herself eventually.

She tried once more, but they still held fast. She cried out in frustration and lowered her head. It was near hopeless. Both she and Sarah were being wrongly accused of stealing these 'Stones of Life' from the Grom and it didn't seem they were willing to believe them. If only she hadn't left the cottage in Cornwall. Hell, if only she hadn't been so unreasonable with Jamie in the first place. She certainly had her share of the blame in this whole thing.

An idea hit her and she straightened up. Perhaps if she got more information from them, she and Sarah could somehow negotiate with the Grom into letting them go. She realized it was a long shot, but at the moment it was all she could think of.

Standing, she approached the front of the cell and grabbed hold of the bars. Out of the corner of her eye she found Sarah regarding her curiously.

“Hey! We wish to speak to you!” she called.

“Save your breath,” Sarah told her bleakly. “I've tried that already. They won't listen. The only time they come here is to dig information I don't have out of me, or to give me what passes for food down here.” She shook her head. “I'm sorry I ever touched that wretched thing.”

Kathryn uttered a humorless chuckle. “You're sorry you touched it? I'm sorry I ever fancied it in the first place. If only Jamie had just ignored it.”

“If only we'd known about it's true identity.”

Kathryn nodded. “Right. Then we wouldn't be stuck awaiting our doom in this … whatever this place is.” A realization suddenly dawned on her. “Have you any idea where we might be? I mean, in terms of what's on the surface?”

Sarah shook her head. “Not a clue. I've no idea how far they dragged me after they knocked me out. We might not even be anywhere in the vicinity of England anymore.”

Kathryn frowned. “I assume someone had grabbed you as they did me. What were you doing leading up to that?”

“I'd stayed later than usual at HQ and was driving home. I must have been less than one-quarter of a mile away when my car got a flat. I went out to examine it when somebody grabbed me.”

Kathryn's mouth fell open in surprise. “I was in Cornwall, on my honeymoon with Jamie. We'd ...” She stopped abruptly and shook her head. She really didn't wish to go into sordid detail about what had transpired. “I'd taken a walk near our cottage when someone had grabbed me from behind. I felt something hit my head and I …” She paused, looking around. “... Woke up here. Wherever 'here' is.”

Sarah gazed at her sympathetically. “Jamie must be so worried.” Another thought seemed to dawn on her. “I wonder how long I've been down here. It has to be at least a day or two.” Her eyes suddenly widened. “Oh goodness, the Doctor and UNIT must be worried sick. And Harry, what must he be thinking?”

Kathryn regarded her curiously. “Harry?”

Sarah chuckled weakly. “Yes, Harry. He's been acting as though he's quite taken to me. A lot of flirting and all that. I found it quite annoying at first, especially the way he calls me 'Old Girl' or 'Old Thing.'”

Kathryn couldn't help but laugh. What an odd couple of pet names.

Sarah had soon joined her. “I know, he's got a funny way of showing it.” Her laughter faded and her expression became wistful. “But I admit it's endearing. He's got his own way about him and I can tell he cares for me. I've grown to like him as well.”

Kathryn suddenly felt a pang of guilt eating away at her. She had no reason to be jealous of Sarah at all. She clearly liked Harry, and it seemed she was quite aware of Kathryn and Jamie's love for one another.

With a renewed focus, she was determined to defend Sarah to the Grom. “When do you suppose these … Grom … will be back?”

“I don't know. I would expect it wouldn't take much time for them to decide our fate,” Sarah replied grimly.

Kathryn nodded. “Well, whenever they get back, we'll be ready for them. They are not going to have us put to death.” She turned back around, her eyes steely with resolve. “Not if I have anything to say about it.”

* * *

 

“So, you see? My speculation was right all along,” the Doctor declared at last, mouth widened in a triumphant grin. “The samples obtained in Cornwall and in the area from which Sarah disappeared are a perfect match.”

Jamie nodded as the Doctor related his findings to him and the UNIT personnel. The traces of the 'enriched carbon compound' found on the underside of the stone had also been found in both groups of the samples. Jamie wasn't exactly sure how good a thing this was, but the Doctor seemed quite excited, so it had to be at least a start.

“So, there's an obvious connection between both areas,” the Brigadier said.

“Very good, Brigadier,” the Doctor smiled. “Yes, and that leads me to deduce that the disappearances of both Sarah and Kathryn are linked together.”

Jamie furrowed his brow in confusion for a brief moment until a realization dawned on him. His gaze flew over to the stone sitting amid all the Doctor's equipment on the bench. Could the stone be what was connecting them?

“Y'know, when Kathryn an' I had that fight in Cornwall, she asked if I'd given the stone tae Sarah.”

This seemed to get the Doctor's attention. “Well, did you?”

“No, I didnae,” Jamie insisted. “Sarah had seen it an' kept talkin' aboot it. She liked it so much an' so I let her look at it for a while. She kept holdin' it up to the window an' sayin' how pretty it was.”

The Doctor frowned. “Well, she should not have done that. As beautiful as it is, I had half a notion there was something wrong with it when you'd first brought it here.”

Jamie quirked an eyebrow at him. “Aye, but Doctor, how could any of us have known what it was then? I thought it a wee simple stone when I found it in the garden.”

The Doctor sighed. “I know, Jamie.” He gazed at the stone for a moment. “This energy signature is quite interesting. The fact it was found where both Sarah and Kathryn were makes me wonder if it had been imprinted on both of them somehow.”

Jamie's eyes widened upon another thought suddenly occurring to him. “When we were in Cornwall, Kathryn an' I had visited the ruins of Tintagel Castle. We met a lass who said somethin' aboot Kathryn having some unique energy.” He then shrugged. “At the time we thought she was jus' daft.”

The Doctor got a faraway look in his eyes for a moment and then met Jamie's gaze. “And in any other circumstance I might be inclined to agree. But it's quite possible this energy signature was imprinted on her and this woman picked it up.”

Jamie nodded thoughtfully. “So where does that leave us now, Doctor?”

The Doctor sighed. “Well … We've got further confirmation on this energy signature and that this little stone is more than just that. It's something powerful and it could mean a lot to someone, somewhere.”

“But it doesnae gets us any closer tae figurin' out where Kathryn an' Sarah are,” Jamie finished in frustration. “Doctor, we'll never find them.”

The Doctor looked at him in shock, as if he were surprised to hear Jamie speak that way. “Since when are you the eternal pessimist?”

Deep down, Jamie knew the Doctor's reaction wasn't a surprise. The Jamie who was hell-bent on helping them escape the Time Lords, the one who had faith they would succeed at whatever impossible task before them … Obviously the Doctor would be shocked to hear him speaking this way. But given the desperate situation with his good friend and the love of his life being missing, Jamie couldn't help it.

He sighed and his gaze dropped to his hands. “It's my fault Kathryn is gone. An' it's my fault Sarah Jane is gone. If only I hadnae paid that stone any mind in the first place, this wouldnae have happened an' they'd both be safe an' sound.”

“You don't know that, Jamie,” the Doctor replied. “Perhaps Kathryn herself could have found it and taken it. She might have disappeared anyway.”

Jamie looked up at the Doctor blankly. Perhaps he was right, but he didn't want to deal with hypothetical situations. The fact was that both lasses were gone, and it was his fault. There was no changing that.

Jamie returned his gaze to the table and his jaw set in anger as he looked upon the stone. “Ye wee troublemaker!” he suddenly exclaimed. In a flourish he grabbed the stone and threw it onto the floor.

“Jamie, no!!” the Doctor cried.

In an instant, a bright, multicolored beam that lit up the room emanated from the stone, followed by a steady beeping sound. Jumping back, Jamie gazed at it, slack-jawed. The display resembled the way the colors had lit up the stone whenever they held it up to the light, but to an even greater extent.

“What the devil is that?!” the Brigadier exclaimed. He quickly approached it when the Doctor held his hand out to stop him.

“Wait, wait,” he said, crouching on the ground and studying the stone. After a moment a grin spread across his face, as if he had discovered something. “Well, I'll be.”

“What is it?” Jamie asked.

“I believe it's a homing beacon,” the Doctor replied, never taking his gaze off the object. “And I believe it may be the very thing we need to help locate Sarah and Kathryn.”

 

* * *

 

Kathryn looked up at the sound of approaching footsteps. She and Sarah had tried to craft a diplomatic strategy to ensure their release, but the obstinate nature the Grom had presented thus far didn't give them much hope it would succeed. How she would give anything to see Jamie again. The chances of that happening were nearly nil, however.

The expression on Nathar's face – what little she could discern from it given its shriveled state – helped instill within her a drop of hope. Perhaps he would hear them out.

She blinked as she found a female beside him. Tall and thin, she had high cheekbones and dull green eyes. Her long, straight, gray hair resembling straw tumbled down her back. She wore a dark green floor-length gown that was quite elegant along with several pieces of attractive jewelry. Her right hand gripped what appeared to be a ceremonial staff of some kind made from a silver-colored metal with a dull, bluish-gray stone set in the top. She seemed to command some sort of authority, given her dress, demeanor and expression.

“We have heard you,” Nathar addressed them. He then turned to the female at his side. “This is our leader, Alizodon.”

Kathryn and Sarah smiled awkwardly and bowed their heads.

“You may rise,” Alizodon ordered them coldly, her voice like sandpaper. Straightening up, Kathryn offered them an apologetic expression. “Why is it you wish to speak to us?”

Kathryn regarded them incredulously. “Well, for one, to try and prove ourselves innocent,” she replied firmly.

Sarah nodded. “We've tried to explain how the stone came into our possession, but you wouldn't even consider our side of the story. You just made up your minds we were guilty!”

The two Grom merely stood, listening.

“My mate had found your stone and we didn't know what it was,” Kathryn began. “He showed it to a friend of ours, a very knowledgeable man.”

“Yes, you might even call him a wizard,” Sarah interjected with a smile.

“Enough of this!” Alizodon's voice boomed. “I do not care about such details.”

Kathryn's eyes narrowed angrily until she realized this leader undoubtedly had the final say in their fate. Her face softened into a contrite expression and she mouthed, “Sorry.”

Sarah took over. “I had seen the stone in our friend's laboratory and was just curious about it. I picked it up and looked at it, and that was all. I set it back down, went about my business, and left to go home. It was then that I was kidnapped and woke up here.” She scowled in their direction.

“You see? She wasn't the one who had stolen it!” Kathryn insisted. “ _No one_ had stolen it! We had just found it.” Another fact dawned on her. “Wait a minute. You said the beacon had picked up on Sarah. In the lab.”

“Yes,” Nathar replied, nodding slowly.

“But that's not where it was to start with. Why hadn't you picked up on me earlier when we'd first found it?”

Nathar briefly turned to a curious looking Alizodon before addressing them once again. “I can only conclude the beacon had some sort of malfunction. If this stone was in your possession first, it should have picked up on you. However, it did find you, eventually.”

“Well, obviously,” Kathryn said under her breath. She had been to HQ to see Jamie at various times in the recent past, so this was no surprise.

“Anyone who comes into contact with the stone is imprinted with its energy signature,” Nathar continued. “That is how we were able to locate you so precisely.”

“Then why not Jamie –er, my mate? Or the Doctor? Why haven't you taken them?” Kathryn asked accusingly.

“For reasons we cannot comprehend, the homing beacon and imprint of its energy signature achieve more favorable results with females than males.”

“Oh, great,” Sarah murmured sarcastically.

Alizodon's stern expression seemed to have some desperation lurking within it. “We have an urgent need to retrieve the other stone,” she told them. “We require its live-giving force. Without it, we will all soon die. It needs to be returned to us.”

“We would like to help you, but how can we return it to you if you've got us held captive here?” Kathryn asked, getting more frustrated by the minute. “Even if you did let us go to bring it back, we can't be sure it's still in the Doctor's laboratory.”

“You will tell us where it is,” Alizodon demanded. “Or you will die.”

 

* * *

 

Seated next to the Doctor inside Bessie, Jamie stared absentmindedly at the passing scenery. The Brigadier, Benton and Harry were following them in a jeep. The stone with its homing beacon active, they had taken it outside to the area where Sarah had disappeared. The Doctor had proposed studying the strength of the beacon's signal between the area in which they had found Sarah's hair clip and the location of the wooded path in Cornwall. It seemed like quite an undertaking, especially given the distance, but the Doctor seemed sure it would lead them to her and Kathryn.

The Doctor had mounted the stone on top of Bessie's dashboard and throughout their journey it had maintained at least some sort of signal, implying they had to be on the right path.

“D'ye think this'll work, Doctor?” Jamie asked. “I mean, d'ye think we'll find Kathryn an' Sarah?”

The Doctor neglected to answer him. He suddenly noticed the signal coming from the stone growing stronger, the series of beeps becoming louder and steadier. Jamie was just about to gesture towards it when the Doctor suddenly slammed on the brake.

Jamie winced as he heard what sounded like the screeching tires of UNIT's jeep behind them. This was followed by their radio crackling to life. “What do you think you're doing, Doctor?” the voice of the Brigadier barked. “You nearly sent us into a spin!”

“Never mind that, Brigadier,” the Doctor told him. “I believe I've found our location.”

Jamie watched him climb out of Bessie and followed him. He turned to find the UNIT men joining them by the side of the road.

The Doctor looked around, squinting. “I believe we're roughly halfway in between both locations.” Holding up the stone, he inched towards the grassy field bordering the road. The signal seemed to grow even stronger. “This way,” he directed them.

Without a word, Jamie followed as the Doctor strode determinedly through the thick grass. The signal had grown stronger still and the Doctor stopped to gaze at their surroundings.

Jamie followed his gaze, squinting in the sunlight. Not finding anything out of the ordinary, his face fell. Could they really have come all this way for nothing?

He was about to say something to the Doctor when something in the grass suddenly caught his eye. It appeared to be a sort of disturbance, as if there were a hole that had been recently covered up.

“Doctor, look!” Jamie cried, pointing in its direction. Not waiting for the Doctor to arrive, he rushed over to the area. He briefly gazed down at it and then looked up to see the Doctor had joined him. The stone was in his hand, and its signal was coming in even louder and stronger than usual.

A sly smile spread across the Doctor's face as he took a small stick and began poking at the area. “Well, well. What have we here?”

“Have you found something, Doctor?” the Brigadier's voice broke into the Doctor's radio.

“Yes, get over here quickly,” the Doctor replied briskly.

Jamie turned to find them rushing over. The Brigadier and Benton both stood, looking at the area curiously as Harry sat down on his haunches.

“What is it, Doc?” Benton asked.

Picking up the stick once more, the Doctor resumed poking at the ground with it. A decent amount of the dirt had fallen away, revealing the beginning of a hole just big enough for a person of petite stature to fit.

Jamie felt his jaw drop.

“That, my dear Benton,” the Doctor began with a grin, “is our ticket to solving this mystery and finding Sarah and Kathryn.” He then stood up and turned to the Brigadier. “Bring the spades, will you?”

The Brigadier nodded to Benton, who rushed back to the jeep to collect the tools.

“What the devil is down there?” Harry asked, his eyes transfixed on the hole. “I can't even see anything.”

“We've only broken through the first couple of feet or so,” the Doctor replied. “I'm certain we'd have to dig quite a bit more in order to hit the level where they're being held.”

Jamie turned to him, brow furrowed. “'Held'? Wha' do ye mean, Doctor?” A sudden thought came to him that made his blood run cold. “Ye think they're bein' held prisoner?”

“Not entirely, Jamie. But as I mentioned earlier, this little stone is so powerful, it must mean a great deal to someone. If it's an object of worship especially, its disappearance would not be taken lightly. They may have assumed Kathryn or Sarah had stolen it.”

“Och, great,” Jamie uttered dryly. A feeling of dread welled up inside him and threatened to make him ill.

“Really, now, Doctor, that's preposterous,” Harry cut in. “All Sarah or Kathryn did was look at the stone. Perhaps picked it up and held it for a short time. How could anyone assume their aim was to steal it?”

“That is quite rational of you to put forth, Harry,” the Doctor muttered, gazing down at the hole once again. “Unfortunately, not every species on Earth or otherwise would see it that way.”

Jamie nodded grimly. Having traveled with the Doctor for such an extended period of time, he could vouch for that. Still, it didn't make him feel any less uneasy about Kathryn and Sarah's fate. What if they had been hurt? What if they were about to be executed?

His worries getting the better of him, he suddenly looked down and held the back of his hand to his mouth, trying to hold back the urge to vomit.

He felt the gentle touch of a hand on his shoulder and realized the Doctor must have noticed. The feeling of nausea passing, Jamie turned to look at him.

“Have no fear, Jamie,” he told him, a calm, reassuring smile on his face. “We will get them back. If you're ever going to have faith in me, let it be over this.”

Jamie took a deep breath as he studied the Doctor. He reminded himself he had no reason to doubt him. Recent regeneration aside, the Doctor had made quick work of that nasty robot business and had rescued Sarah. He had always come through for them. Heck, he had saved Jamie's life more times than he could count. True, the young Scot had more to worry about now as both her and Kathryn's lives were in danger, but the Doctor's hunches and deductions had been right thus far.

A faint smile began tugging at his lips and it broadened as he watched the Time Lord return his smile. “Aye. All right, Doctor,” he replied softly.

The Doctor's smile widened as he patted Jamie on the shoulder once again. They both straightened up as the Brigadier and Benton rejoined them, carrying four spades. The Brigadier gave them out and they each set to work on digging.

“This dirt is quite fine-grained and soft,” the Doctor said as he dug one corner. “If we keep up this pace, I believe we shall hit bottom in no time.”

Jamie nodded as he joined them in digging. Perhaps then they would finally rescue Kathryn and Sarah. He didn't want to get his hopes up, of course, but for once he'd felt a spark of optimism that had been long gone.

 

 


	6. Five

The dull ache where her neck and upper back met beginning to intensify, Kathryn groaned. She and Sarah had each been tied to tall, narrow columns in what appeared to be a courtroom of sorts. A reasonable facsimile of a judge's bench was situated some twenty feet before them. Her current distress involved a large hole mere feet in front of them both. It was about five feet in diameter and was covered over with thick netting of some sort.

She couldn't believe they were now here, awaiting some cruel punishment. Given the hole in front of them, she assumed they'd both be thrown into what was most likely a deep pit with spikes at the bottom. Could the Grom really be that sadistic? The cynic in her would not be surprised, although she had not been expecting them to be lenient enough to give them a trial instead of executing them outright. Still, they had seemed so convinced that she and Sarah were guilty, she assumed the 'defense attorney' position was purely ceremonial.

She gazed around the dimly lit room as far as the confines of her rope bonds would allow. To each side there were groups of Grom spectators, a mix of male and female humanoid figures of different ages and sizes. Their expressions ranged from curiosity – perhaps bordering on nosiness – to hostility. Some uttered cries of 'Thief!' and had tried to spit on the women, something which made Kathryn grateful for the distance between them and the crowd. She and Sarah had tried to defend themselves, but there was no point. Based on their decrepit appearance and seemingly weakened physical state, it was no wonder they were desperate to get this stone back in their possession. Kathryn might have had more than an ounce sympathy had they not been so convinced of her and Sarah's guilt. If only they would free them and allow them to try and find the stone.

Right. As if the Grom trusted them enough to begin with – let alone at all!

Before she could fret on it further, a chant had gone up among the crowd. She couldn't make out the words, but it sounded like some ceremonial something-or-other. It grew steadily and she watched as several Grom whom she assumed to be court officials had entered the room, followed by Alizodon wearing a dignified expression on her face despite her outward frailty as she clutched her staff.

As she approached the bench, she took her position as judge and made a sweeping gesture with her arms, an apparent signal for silence. The chanting having ceased, she lowered herself onto her seat and nodded to the two officials who stood on either side of the bench. The one on Kathryn's right was assumed to be the prosecutor. Impressive in stature, he appeared to be a rather dour-looking individual who did not suffer fools gladly. At one point he had turned to regard her and Sarah in an almost scornful manner.

“We shall now begin the trial,” Alizodon announced.

Another Grom stepped forward whom Kathryn hadn't noticed before. From his ramrod posture and strict demeanor, she guessed his position was similar to a bailiff. “Calling the first witness, Chief Scientist Nathar to testify!”

Kathryn turned and found Nathar approaching the bench. The 'bailiff' had recited some sort of official-sounding gibberish, to which Nathar simply nodded. He turned to address Alizodon.

“My Lady,” he began with a slight bow. He then turned to address the spectators. “Fellow Grom. I am here to present testimony as a witness regarding the most distressing disappearance of one of our two Life Stones.”

“Chief Scientist Nathar,” the prosecutor began rather grudgingly. “It was you who had discovered the second Life Stone missing. Is this correct?”

“Yes.”

“When was it that you first noticed it missing?”

Nathar seemed to take a moment to think. “Several cycles ago,” he finally replied.

A frown knitted Kathryn's brow as she listened to him. Several cycles? Perhaps 'cycles' was their measure of weeks? It would certainly fit in with the time frame of when Jamie had first found it in their garden.

“Please detail for us – to the best of your ability – the circumstances upon which you noticed it missing.”

Nathar nodded. “Once I had woken, I noticed how uncharacteristically dark the lair had grown. I was quite concerned there was a problem with the Stones, and so I had approached the platforms in the Resource Chamber.”

“And you found the second Stone missing. Correct?”

“Of course.” He then turned to face Kathryn and Sarah, his expression unreadable. “It took some time to activate the homing beacon inside the first Stone but once it was achieved, it led me to discover the whereabouts of the second.”

“And where was it located?”

“In some facility on the surface much like a laboratory.” He pointed to Sarah. “Female Alpha was seen possessing the stone.”

Kathryn did not miss the indignant expression on Sarah's face in reaction to her new moniker.

“What did you witness her doing with it in her possession?”

“She appeared to be holding it and studying it.”

The prosecutor nodded. “And it is your belief that she had stolen it?”

Nathar turned to face the women once again. “Yes.” There were murmurs of discontent from the spectators which grew louder until Alizodon tapped her staff on the ground, quieting the din.

Nathar then gazed pointedly at Kathryn. “However, I was later informed by Female Beta that she and her mate had found the stone previously. I now believe the beacon suffered a malfunction of some sort and had not found Female Beta earlier. She did however become imprinted with the energy signature, as demonstrated in our ability to locate and capture her.”

Kathryn's eyes narrowed and she angrily set her jaw as she met his gaze.

“Erm, excuse me, my Lady,” a meek voice which sounded as dry as dust interrupted, addressing Alizodon. Kathryn's gaze shifted to a short, rotund man wearing a small set of spectacles who wheezed as he hurriedly approached the bench. From his position she assumed he was the 'defense attorney.'

Alizodon and the rest of the court turned to him curiously. The sheepish smile he gave them seemed to indicate he wasn't very prepared and Kathryn felt a seed of dread begin to germinate deep within her. This Grom had been assigned to defend them and her first impression of him didn't instill much confidence.

“You say you witnessed Female Alpha with the second Stone in her possession, holding it and studying it. From what you observed, would you believe she had done any harm to it?”

All eyes, including Kathryn's, were now on Nathar. He hesitated for a brief moment and then shook his head. “No, I do not.”

Squeezing her eyes shut, Kathryn breathed a sigh of relief.

“Do you believe she had any intention to do harm to it?” the defense attorney continued.

Kathryn reopened her eyes, gazing almost pleadingly at Nathar. He didn't seem to notice, however.

“What does that matter?” Nathar returned, his tone incredulous. “They were both involved in stealing it. They have done great harm to us, the Grom!” He approached Alizodon. “Look at us, my Lady! Look at yourself! We are dried husks of what we once were! Each fraction of a cycle I feel my life force draining! Do you not feel the same?”

Alizodon stared wordlessly at him. He turned to face Kathryn and Sarah once again, his expression dark and vengeful. “Because of these, we all shall soon be dead! It is my firm belief they have taken the second Stone with the intention of keeping it from us!”

Kathryn's mouth dropped open in shock and she shared a look with Sarah.

“We object!” Sarah shouted, turning back to the others. “We've told you over and over, we had no intention whatsoever of stealing this Life Stone! We had no idea what it was when we first saw it! And what's this 'Female Alpha and Beta' business? We've got names, you know!”

“Silence!!” Alizodon shouted. “You shall speak only when you are directed to do so!” She nodded to the defense attorney. “Please continue.”

The law officer appeared to have been caught off-guard and nodded awkwardly. He turned to address the remainder of the room. “Erm, I …” He suddenly coughed. “Excuse me.”

Kathryn eyed him expectantly, waiting for him to make some statement of brilliant jurisprudence that could turn the tables in their favor.

If she were waiting for such a statement to come, she was fooling herself. Instead, he merely stared at them all, looking much like he'd been stricken with a bad case of stage fright.

Lowering her head, Kathryn groaned. If they were going to be freed, it would be nothing short of a miracle.

_Jamie, I'm sorry for everything I said to you. I'm sorry my actions caused me to end up here. How I wish you knew where to find me._

 

* * *

 

The Doctor blinked as he looked around, trying to adjust his eyes to the bleak, dark conditions of this new underground setting. It had taken quite a bit of time for them to finally break through to the bottom, but they'd still done so sooner than he had expected. He was also glad they had come armed with torches. Switching his on, he gazed at their surroundings and was surprised to see what appeared to be a rather elaborate network of corridors. Upon further examination, it seemed they had been sculpted out of a sort of finely-packed dirt. His brow furrowed as he drew closer to a support column and ran his hand over it, studying the material.

“Hmm,” he muttered. “They must have developed some sort of binding agent to make it sturdier.”

“Doctor, it appears to be a series of … dwellings,” Harry mused. “Like some crude underground city.”

The Time Lord looked up in the direction of his voice. The young man was right. The area to which he was gesturing was comprised of something akin to a row of crude houses. Their architecture consisted of a mix of this sturdy material, bits of wood and even glass. “Yes, Harry. I wonder what sort of civilization we're dealing with here.”

“Er, Doctor, don' ye think we should try tae find Kathryn an' Sarah? Can we no' leave this for later?” Jamie asked impatiently.

Turning, the Doctor refocused his eyes on the young Scot. The poor boy was gazing at him, eyes widened in desperation. The Doctor felt like giving himself a good swift kick in the arse. If such a thing were physically possible …

“Yes, of course, Jamie,” he replied, eyeing him apologetically.

“How will we even know where to begin searching?” the Brigadier piped up. “These tunnels could go on for miles.”

For a moment the Doctor was at a loss for words. That is, until his gaze dropped to the beam of light coming from his jacket pocket and he heard the muffled, steady beep within.

“Well, I doubt we have far to go,” he said, shining his torch along the walls. “The homing signal is picking up on their signatures.” He grabbed the stone and held it aloft for emphasis. “The fact it's still going strong means they're not far away.”

“I hope ye're right,” Jamie told him. The tone of his voice was far from optimistic.

The Doctor frowned. “Now, Jamie, what have I told you about --” The sound of a loud, booming voice up ahead stopped him in his tracks. The corridor had veered slightly to the right some thirty feet ahead and the voice was coming from that direction. “Let's see what's going on there.”

He placed the stone back in his pocket and took several steps forward. The others followed and soon Jamie was right beside him. He caught the young man gazing curiously at the Doctor's pocket, as the muffled signal from the stone seemed to be getting even stronger. Perhaps it was just his imagination, but the Time Lord thought he saw a spark of hopefulness in Jamie's eyes at one point.

The voice led them to a large sort of chamber. Studying the interior, the Doctor discovered it was set up much like a courtroom and it appeared a trial was taking place. He slowly stopped next to the doorway and peered inside, trying to stay out of view of the interesting-looking inhabitants. They seemed humanoid and their clothing was similar to that worn by humans a thousand years ago or earlier, but their outward appearance made them look like living mummies.

His curiosity grew as his gaze fell upon two women tied to columns before the judge's bench.

“Gentlemen, I believe we may be witnessing some justice being meted out here,” he muttered, his gaze never leaving the proceedings. He struggled to make out exactly what was being said. Perhaps if he moved closer ...

“Er, Doctor ...”

The Time Lord recognized a note of dread in the Brigadier's voice and looked over to find he had moved to the far edge of the room. It seemed his vantage afforded a better view of the proceedings. Nodding to Jamie, Benton and Harry, they quickly joined him.

The Doctor finally recognized the accused and felt his jaw drop.

Quickly turning to Jamie, he watched the young man's expression of overwhelming relief quickly morph into one of sheer horror.

 

* * *

 

Jamie struggled to fight back tears as he laid eyes upon Kathryn and Sarah. He was beyond relieved to have finally found them, but seeing them tied up like this awaiting some sort of punishment made the reality of the situation finally sink in. The notion of their lives being in grave danger was more pain than he could bear.

“I have listened to the charges filed against Female Alpha and Female Beta,” the withered old woman – heck, they were all withered – who seemed like a judge began. Jamie scowled in her direction. 'Female Alpha' and 'Female Beta'? What kind of business was this?

“I have listened to the witnesses and to the account presented to me by the defense,” she continued. Jamie had zoned out a bit as her speech contained a lot of official gobbledygook that sailed above his head. He tried to pay attention to anything that sounded like charges being leveled against the girls. Despite the judge's raspy voice, he was able to pick out the words 'theft', 'contempt', and 'attempted murder.'

Jamie's eyes widened upon that last charge. “Eh?? They're not murderers! Doctor --”

“Jamie, shhhh!” the Time Lord hissed. He signaled to Jamie to wait until the judge had concluded her statement. Jamie regarded him incredulously. If they'd been charged with murder, it didn't look good at all.

“Having considered all of the arguments, I am prepared to offer this sentence to the accused.”

Jamie felt his heart pounding in his chest as the judge slowly picked up a scroll and appeared to be reading it. The young Scot wondered why she was taking her sweet time and nearly wanted to rush up to her, grab the scroll and read the sentencing himself.

“I find the accused guilty of all charges: theft, contempt, and, most importantly, attempted murder.”

Jamie's stomach performed a somersault as he heard cheers coming from the crowd. Eyeing the huge pit in front of both women, he felt even sicker.

“They shall be put to death by being dropped into the pit.” She gestured to the large opening. “Remove the nets!”

Jamie turned desperately to the Doctor. “C'mon, Doctor, we've gotta get them out of there!!” he cried.

“Indeed, Jamie. Now is the time to put my little plan into place.”

Jamie merely stared at him, face contorted in confusion. How could he be so calm given what was happening right in front of them?

The Doctor seemed to pick up on his confusion and a sly smile spread across his face. “For you see, I've got something up my sleeve. Or, rather, inside my pocket.” He stepped forward into view of the participants, raising a finger to get their attention. “Excuse me!”

You could hear a pin drop in the room as all eyes turned to them. The Doctor began to take a few steps further into the center of the room and Jamie caught his surreptitious nod, gesturing for him and the Brigadier, Benton and Harry to join him.

Jamie watched him nervously for a moment before taking a step forward. He briefly looked about the room, feeling his skin crawl as he noticed all these strange creatures staring at them. The young Scot felt like kicking himself for overlooking the obvious. Of course, the stone. But would simply returning it be enough for the Grom if they were so convinced it had been stolen? With Kathryn and Sarah's lives at stake, he really hoped the Doctor knew what he was doing.

 

* * *

 

Kathryn had been struggling against her thick roped bonds when a very familiar voice from the back of the room made her freeze. Hearing the sound of footsteps in their direction, she turned her head and witnessed a tall man approaching. Despite the low light it didn't take long for her to recognize him and her eyes widened in shock.

The Doctor.

No, not just the Doctor. There were several others with him: the Brigadier, Warrant Officer Benton, Harry Sullivan, and … Jamie!

Kathryn felt tears flooding her eyes as she gazed upon him. Oh, Jamie. Her heart overflowed at the sight of him.

“What is the meaning of this?!” Alizodon suddenly shouted. Standing, she pointed accusingly at them. “Who are you?!”

“We are friends of the accused,” the Doctor replied evenly. “What may I ask are you doing with them?” His tone was disarming but firm.

“They have stolen one of our precious Life Stones! We cannot live without them!” the dour prosecutor exclaimed, sounding quite offended. “They must be put to death!” Murmurs of assent stirred within the crowd in reply to his assertion.

“Och, look, they didnae steal it!!” Jamie interrupted in frustration. “If ye're gannae blame anyone for yer stone bein' missing, blame me!”

Kathryn felt her eyebrows nearly leap off her forehead once she heard this. She also witnessed the Doctor turning to Jamie, regarding him in shock.

Jamie stared down both the prosecutor and Alizdon, his jaw set angrily. “I'm the one who found it. If ye gotta put anyone tae death, let it be me!”

The sounds of exclamation coming through the crowd weren't enough to make Kathryn miss the next exchange between the Doctor and Jamie.

“Jamie, are you certain you want to do this?” the Doctor had asked him incredulously.

Jamie gave him a brief, pointed stare before nodding his head. “Aye. Doctor, ye know as much as I that neither Kathryn nor Sarah Jane deserve tae die. I'm the one who found it. I'm willing tae go in their place.”

Kathryn's eyes filled with tears as she watched Jamie turn around and meet her gaze for a split second, the love for her in his eyes unmistakable.

“Jamie, no,” she pleaded softly, aware he most likely couldn't hear her but saying it nonetheless. The fact he would suggest sacrificing himself for her and Sarah touched her in ways she couldn't even measure, but the proceedings thus far demonstrated Grom's sense of justice was indeed warped. Heaven forbid they would entertain Jamie's plea.

“No one is going to be put to death!” The Doctor suddenly exclaimed over all the commotion. In a split second, all eyes in the room were on him once again as he shook his head with a smirk. “You see, I'm afraid I can't let you do that,” he said.

Kathryn's attention was divided between the Doctor and the challenge of undoing the knots in her ropes. She had been fortunate enough to find some slack in it after the Grom had first tied her and Sarah to the columns. Whomever had done this had no business making knots, and she couldn't be happier for it. She had succeeded in unraveling one knot; now she was left with one stubborn, smaller one.

“And why is that?”

_Just a bit more … almost got it ..._

“Because ...” the Doctor began. He reached into one of his pockets and held up an object. Kathryn paused to see it was the stone.

There was a collective gasp from the room.

“I believe this is yours,” the Doctor said with a grin.

_Ah, there it goes!_

Kathryn sighed in relief as the ropes' final knot unraveled. Knocking away the ropes, she tested her newly freed arms, wincing slightly as the strain from being wrapped behind the column had taken its toll somewhat. She quickly glanced at the rest of the Grom. They seemed too overcome with shock over the Doctor's revelation to notice she'd freed herself. With that to her advantage, she rushed over to Sarah and quickly untied her as well. The other woman acknowledged her gratefully and they both rushed over to join the Doctor's group.

Not wishing to startle him or make a scene, Kathryn approached Jamie quietly. “Jamie!” she whispered. He appeared to have been studying the Grom but suddenly turned at the sound of her voice. His face was the picture of complete surprise.

“Kathryn,” he whispered back.

Before he could say anything else, she grabbed him and hugged him tightly. Goodness, she never thought she would see him again. When she'd first caught sight of him, he appeared so haggard. She couldn't imagine how worried he must have been.

She shifted her gaze just slightly to find Sarah rushing up to the Doctor, hugging him as well. She then suddenly let go and grabbed Harry, hugging him in a flourish. Kathryn felt herself smile at his reaction: a bit taken aback at first but replaced by a beaming smile as he held her close.

“Is it really you?” At the sound of his voice, Kathryn turned back to Jamie. “I mean, how did ye --”

“I was lucky the Grom who tied me up must have done the knots blindfolded,” she smirked.

The corner of his mouth briefly twitched into a lopsided grin before a frown knitted his brow. “Eh? The Grom? That's wha' these things are called?” he asked quietly.

She nodded. “And the judge is their leader, Alizodon.”

Speaking of which, the leader herself finally seemed past her shock and was eyeing the Doctor curiously. “Where did you find it?”

“In our garden,” Jamie piped up, pointing to himself and Kathryn. “I'd no idea how it got there or what it was. Ye see, we didnae steal it. We thought it a pretty stone an' nothing more. We didnae know it was so important to ye.”

“Yes, and he had brought it to me to study,” the Doctor added. “One thing that puzzles me some is why you thought Sarah and then later Kathryn had stolen this Life Stone of yours. Evidently, you had picked up on both of them at different times in the vicinity of my laboratory. Yet that was not where it had been originally found.” His tone had turned mildly accusatory.

Kathryn watched as a somewhat chastened looking Nathar approached. “It would appear the beacon experienced some sort of malfunction, and we hadn't picked up on … Sarah and Kathryn … until later.”

The Doctor nodded thoughtfully.

“If what you say is true and you did not steal the Stone,” Nathar continued, addressing Kathryn and Jamie. “I do not know how it had made its way into your garden. Both stones are usually set into their platforms in the Resource Chamber.”

“Resource Chamber?” Harry questioned.

Nathar nodded. “Yes, it is the chamber where all the energy of our lair is concentrated.” He appeared to think for a moment and his eyes narrowed. He then turned to Alizodon. “My lady, I am beginning to suspect a thief in our midst.”

Cries of shock were heard from the crowd once more until Alizodon loudly tapped her staff on the ground, effectively quieting them.

“Wait a minute,” the Brigadier suddenly spoke up, gesturing to the stone in the Doctor's hand. “Why would one of your own wish to steal this? You just said it would mean the death of your people. Surely the thief wouldn't be that suicidal? Or suicidal in his stupidity as the case may be?”

“Perhaps an animal could have stolen it? Grabbed it and scampered away with it?” Harry offered. “That might explain how it made its way to the garden.”

“I think you'd be hard-pressed to find an animal large enough to carry something like this,” Benton returned with a grin.

“Mebbe a boar?” Jamie said.

Sarah regarded him incredulously. “What? Here?”

“Of course!” Nathar suddenly interrupted.

“Eh? Ye think it was a boar?”

“No! It just occurred to me,” the Chief Scientist replied, sounding as if he'd been gifted an epiphany. He turned to Alizodon. “The Crimball. I now believe it was their doing.”

Alizodon appeared startled at first by his statement, but her eyes soon widened in apparent realization. “Yes. I am starting to understand now, Nathar,” she said.

“Excuse me?” the Doctor asked as he approached them. “Who may I ask are the Crimball?”

“They are a species quite like our own,” Alizodon explained. “In fact, they _were_ us until – for purely selfish reasons – they decided to break off from us and form their own society. They reside in a lair much like our own, but they are also capable of living above ground. They have not needed to rely on the Stones as we do for our life force, but I would not put it past them to use them as bargaining chips.” Her eyes narrowed angrily. “They have been adversaries of ours for generations. It is possible one of their spies could have sneaked inside and stolen the stone.”

“Sir, if I may?” Benton suddenly cut in.

“Yes, Benton,” the Brigadier replied with a nod.

Benton turned to Alizodon.“This Resource Chamber where these Life Stones are kept. Is it well-guarded?”

Alizodon stepped down from the bench and directed the 'bailiff' to keep order. “This way,” she said, gesturing for them to follow. Kathryn shared a look with Jamie and Sarah before follow the Doctor and UNIT men out of the room.

Passing the cells where she and Sarah had been kept, Kathryn felt a shudder go up her spine. Jamie seemed to notice and laid a comforting hand on her shoulder.

They soon stopped in front of a medium-sized room with no door. “This is it?” the Brigadier asked. “Not even a door?”

Nathar nodded. “Yes. I am usually in this vicinity during most times, but there never seemed to be a need to have a guard. If this is the work of the Crimball, It is likely they could have exploited this oversight.”

The Doctor gazed at them sternly. “I think perhaps you'd better get more security for these Life Stones if they are so important to you.” He handed the stone to a shamefaced Nathar who then approached the empty platform, placing the stone upon it.

At once, the stone emitted a humming sound and a glowing light spread outward. Kathryn regarded it fearfully, unsure of what it would do. She found similar reactions among Jamie and the others.

Alizodon, however, was smiling. “Fear not,” she told them.

The light passed over them and Kathryn heaved a sigh in relief. Rather, it had concentrated itself on Alizodon and Nathar. Kathryn watched in amazement as the light washed over them and seemed to be growing within them, transforming them from the hideous, frail looking beings they were ...

… Into something quite beautiful. Their grayish-tan, dried out skin was now smooth, youthful, and a brilliant aquamarine color. Alizodon's eyes were a haunting purple and her royal blue hair resembled silk. She had stunning, high cheekbones and an attractive smile. Nathar himself now resembled a man of thirty, with bright, green eyes and light green hair.

Kathryn merely stared at them, transfixed. She was nearly taken aback at how beautiful the Grom truly were. A brief gaze at the surrounding area revealed it had brightened up much as well, allowing the impressive architecture of their lair to be fully seen. Kathryn took particular interesting in the intricate patterns carved into the hardened soil and clay walls.

“Oh … my,” the Doctor uttered, googly-eyed as he took in the sudden changes.

Alizodon appeared amused for a moment. She smiled and inclined her head in a nod. “Yes. You are now witnessing us in our true form,” she declared, her once raspy voice as smooth as honey. “Strengthened by the life force from the Stones. For generations upon generations, they have sustained not only us, but our environment as well.” She gestured to Nathar, who had begun extinguishing the candles and lanterns all around them.

“Well, your true form is quite lovely,” Harry spoke up, some leftover awe in his voice.

“Aye,” Jamie agreed. They had begun to head out of the room and Kathryn joined them.

“Our thanks to you for returning the Stone. I must apologize for the way you were treated.” She gazed contritely at Kathryn and Sarah. “Being near death, we were desperate. Something of this magnitude has never occurred to us before.”

Kathryn turned to Jamie who frowned as his eyes briefly darted over to her. “Perhaps ye should think aboot guarding those things a wee bit more closely in future.”

Alizodon nodded. “It shall be done.” She smiled again. “As a peace offering, we wish to prepare a banquet for you. Are you sure you cannot stay?”

The Doctor appeared ready to accept the invitation, but Sarah held up a hand to stop him. “Oh, no, we really can't,” she spoke up, a bit of forced regret in her tone. “We need to get back.”

The Time Lord slapped a quick smile on his face and gave them a slight bow. “Thank you all the same.” He then nodded to the others and they began heading back the way they came, their ultimate destination being the surface.

As they left, Kathryn turned back to find the small, mousy defense attorney approaching Alizodon.

“You wished to see me, my Lady?”

“Yes. Defense Officer Waldom, I wish to inform you of a job for which I believe you are most qualified.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I suppose some of this may seem rather preposterous but the Grom *do* really have a warped sense of justice. And I know Jamie (and perhaps some of the others) seems to have quickly forgotten that the Doctor has the other stone, but with the love of his life and his good friend ordered to be put to death I think I can forgive him. ;)


	7. Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The mention of the Doctor and Jamie back on the Wheel with Zoe is a reference to "You Can't Go Home Again (Or Can You?)", the prequel story to this series. The first pic here is Jamie confronting the Doctor about his wishes at UNIT HQ. The last one is Jamie and Kathryn on their honeymoon... I know it's badly photoshopped (the original pic is of Frazer from Emmerdale Farm, a few years after he left Doctor Who) but I thought it was cute and had to include it. Anyway, I can't believe this story is now finished. I hope you liked reading it as much as I did writing it. I enjoyed exploring Jamie's interaction with the Fourth Doctor, Harry and Sarah Jane in particular. I was going to conclude the series with this story, but I may do one more. I'll have to see if I can develop further the plot bunny that recently struck me.

Heaving a sigh as she laid back on the bed, Kathryn tried to keep her attention on the colorful magazine about local flora and fauna in her hands. The jumble of thoughts occupying her mind made it a near impossibility. After all that had recently happened, of course, it was no surprise.

After she had ended up in the underground lair of the Grom with Sarah and had been wrongly sentenced to death, she never thought she would see Jamie, the Doctor, or the UNIT men again. No doubt she had been in grave situations before – being possessed by a malevolent force _and_ a spirit of a Scottish nobleman, for one – but being accused of attempted murder and nearly put to death had topped them all. She had had no idea where exactly she and Sarah had been brought and thus assumed it would be a long shot that they'd ever be found.

The fact they had arrived as the sentencing was being brought down seemed nothing short of a miracle. She was certainly relieved he'd brought the other stone but wasn't confident the Grom would drop their charges. After all, its disappearance had nearly killed them. Coupled with the fact that both their logic and sense of justice seemed quite warped to begin with, the odds did not seem to be on their side.

Apparently, its return was all they needed to not only free her and Sarah, but to beg their forgiveness. She certainly hadn't expected that but she knew desperation made humans do strange things; why shouldn't it be any different as far as other species were concerned?

Not only had the Grom apologized and allowed them to go free, they had even offered to prepare a banquet for them.The Doctor seemed disappointed not to take them up on the offer, but Sarah had insisted they leave. Kathryn was glad, given the food they were served in prison. Although it wasn't necessarily representative of the Grom's culinary skills, the two women were simply exhausted and wanted to get back home as soon as possible. Fortunately, Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart and Warrant Officer Benton had also brought climbing equipment, making it easier for them all to scale the trench back up to the surface.

Kathryn couldn't wait to return home, have a proper shower and a meal, but the Brigadier made her endure a routine physical exam and debrief them on all that had happened. She knew it was part of the process and wasn't about to object, but she was dreadfully tired and wanted to leave. The Brigadier seemed to feel badly she was placed in this situation and had to submit to all this. Still, he was first and foremost a military officer and had to follow proper protocol.

'Perhaps you would be better off not being so involved with these people any longer,' spoke the nagging little voice inside her. She'd first heard it during the argument with Jamie which had led to this whole situation. It was now back, louder and more persistent. Kathryn couldn't help feeling just a bit of remorse for feeling this way. They were lovely people and had done a lot for both Jamie and herself, but the two of them were now entering a new chapter of their life. She'd be happier if the others were more like a footnote than multiple paragraphs' worth.

Realizing what this meant, she frowned. She had to convince Jamie and knew it would be difficult, especially considering the Doctor was such a close friend of his and had been for quite some time. He had recounted to her all sorts of adventures he'd had with the Time Lord: all the fun, the close calls, and of course the number of times the Doctor – in whatever incarnation – had saved his life. Clearly the Doctor was quite special to him. She certainly had her work cut out for her.

The sound of waves crashing against the beach interrupted her ruminations. She lifted her gaze from the magazine to the stunning view in front of her, one she'd not had much opportunity to appreciate in the very recent past. Once they had arrived home and had rested up a good deal, Jamie professed to Kathryn how very badly he'd felt about what had happened and insisted on making it up to her. They had returned to the Cornish coast and, as luck would have it, found the cottage in which they initially stayed still available.

Kathryn felt a small, content smile twitch at her lips. As badly as things seemed earlier, luck had certainly been with her: first the Doctor, Jamie and the others showing up just as she and Sarah had been sentenced to death, and now getting a second chance to enjoy – what was to her – paradise.

She felt the bed shake slightly and turned to find Jamie had sat down beside her.

She grinned. “Back so soon?”

His brow furrowed in confusion. “Eh? I've been gone near half an hour,” he replied, a slight note of disbelief in his tone.

Kathryn's eyes widened and she felt her face flush. “Oh, goodness. I didn't realize where the time had gone.” She gave him an apologetic smile as she met his gaze.

“'S'all right,” he replied with a smile of his own. “I've got somethin' for ye.”

She regarded him curiously as he reached behind his back and revealed a small bouquet of wildflowers. Kathryn's jaw dropped as she gazed at them. Of various sizes and colors, the main ones being white, yellow and purple, they were quite pretty. Bending over, she inhaled their fragrance, smiling as the lovely, subtle coconut scent tantalized her senses.

“You got these for me?”

She caught a faint blush staining Jamie's cheeks as he shyly looked away and nodded. “Aye.” She touched his shoulder and he turned back to her with a tentative smile. “A wee peace offering. For our huge argument which led tae all this.”

Witnessing the guilt in his eyes, Kathryn felt her heart breaking. “Jamie, there is so much I need to say to you.” She suddenly felt quite overwhelmed. “But, blimey, I don't know where to begin.”

Jamie nodded, his own expression heavy with emotion. “Aye. I'm no' quite sure where tae begin either.” He gazed down at the bed for a fleeting moment. “I'm jus' so thankful ye're all right,” he suddenly blurted, his voice faltering.

Before Kathryn could react, he quickly grabbed her, capturing her in a tight hug. She felt his body shuddering slightly, the emotional dam seemingly having burst forth. They had stayed this way for a good while after which he'd pulled back only to cover her lips with his, kissing her deeply. It was almost as if he were afraid to let her go.

Once they had finally separated, Kathryn gazed at him as she tried to get her breath. She had relished the kiss, but still felt some overwhelming sadness as she watched Jamie suddenly look away once more. He seemed almost embarrassed by his impulsive show of affection.

“Sorry,” he mumbled. His gaze had returned to the bed as he dropped his chin to his chest and the long strands of hair had covered his eyes.

Chuckling fondly at him, she reached over and brushed the hair away from his face, causing him to look back up at her with a sheepish expression. “Don't be, Jamie. After what just happened, I reckon I know what you're trying to say.” Oops, she hadn't meant for it to come out quite that way.

Jamie apparently didn't mind, though, if his soft laughter was anything to go by. She found his eyes twinkling as he lovingly met her gaze.

“Can I ask ye something?” he said.

She nodded. “Of course.”

“Ye said ye saw me holdin' Sarah Jane that day the Doctor had changed. Why had ye no' spoken tae me aboot it?”

Kathryn suddenly looked away, feeling really ashamed. “I don't know,” she muttered, waving her hand dismissively in front of her face. “It was daft of me.”

“No, please, tell me, lass,” he persisted. “Ye thought I had feelings for her, didn't ye. If it upset ye as much as I think it did, why didnae ye say anything tae me?”

“I really should have done,” she told him, feeling even more ashamed as she met his gaze once again. “But it's not just that. I never should have made such a ridiculous assumption in the first place. If I hadn't, we wouldn't have had that terrible argument and I wouldn't have ended up down there. This entire thing is my fault.” She looked away again, feeling as if she wanted to hide.

She heard Jamie sigh and felt a hand softly touching her arm. Turning, she found him gazing at her sadly as he took her into his arms. “Don' blame yerself, lass,” he said softly. “This is my fault as well. I said some things I never should have. I shouldnae have insisted on coming back tae London. Aye, I felt responsible for Sarah having been taken. But 'twas our honeymoon; our special time taegether. I shouldnae have brought the communicator wi' me in the first place. As much as I owe the Doctor an' UNIT, we've got our own life now an' I need tae separate the two.”

Kathryn inwardly breathed a sigh of relief upon realizing he felt the same as she did. “I must confess something. During the argument I griped about how much time you spent with them. It wasn't said only out of anger, there was some truth to it. Under any other circumstance, I might have just gone along and tried to cope with it, but after what's just happened I would feel better not getting so involved with them any longer.” Jamie simply nodded and she could tell he didn't seem very pleased to hear this. “I wanted to mention it to you, but I was worried about how you would take it, Jamie. I know how very close you and the Doctor are. I know that he's been such a huge part of your life.”

Jamie heaved a sigh and nodded again. “Aye. I willnae lie to ye. I've just started thinkin' this m'self.”

This revelation caught Kathryn unawares. “You have?”

“Mm, I have. I was dreadin' the verra thought, but I knew I couldnae put it off forever. I'm gannae have tae make some important decisions.” As he met her gaze, he appeared as if he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. For a brief moment, it almost made him appear older than his nearly twenty-six years.

Kathryn eyed him sadly. Goodness, she felt her heart breaking all over again. “I'm sorry, Jamie,” she said, reaching out to stroke his hair. “I know how difficult this must be for you.”

Turning to her, Jamie shook his head with an encouraging smile. “'S all right. It's somethin' I've got tae do. Kathryn, you are so special an' important tae me. I would never forgive myself if ye'd been badly hurt or killed. The Doctor will understand.” His smile suddenly faded. “I hope.”

Kathryn quirked an eyebrow. “You hope?”

“But I'm sure he will,” he added quickly. “An' if not I will make him understand.”

“You think you can?”

“I'm sure of it. Ye know, this isnae the first time I had tae make a decision like this.”

Another revelation of his had taken her by surprise. “Really?”

“Aye. I willnae go into it, but after the Doctor – I mean his other self – rescued me from prison after Culloden an' we had gone back tae visit Zoe on the Wheel, I decided I wanted tae take a break from travelin' with him. That's how I ended up here.” His gaze turned thoughtful. “Of course he'd meant tae take me to Paris tae be reunited wi' my family.”

Kathryn chuckled as she remembered Jamie telling her this back when they'd first met. “Well I'm glad he got off course, then.”

He soon joined her. “As much as we'd joke aboot the TARDIS no' getting us where we wanted tae go, I'm so thankful she did this time.”

She beamed at him. “As am I.”

She met his loving gaze and they inched closer together until his lips joined with hers once more and he bestowed another amazing kiss upon her.

* * *

 

Jamie gazed nervously at his hands as he walked the corridors of UNIT HQ to the Doctor's lab. He and Kathryn had had a marvelous time in Cornwall. He'd been pleased to finally give them a proper honeymoon. They'd done quite a bit of sightseeing and, of course, spent time just relaxing at the seaside and doing the usual 'honeymoon things.' Jamie felt his lips spread into a wide grin as those memories stirred up inside him.

It was now over, though, and there was pressing business to attend to back here in London. He'd be lying to himself if he weren't concerned about how the Doctor would take the news and a small part of himself wished he could put it off for another day.

But he knew he couldn't. This was too important. Kathryn's life had been in grave danger. He couldn't allow anything like this to happen again, no matter how minuscule the chance. As he'd recently told her himself, it wasn't as though he'd never suggested something like this to the Doctor before. He reminded himself once again of the situation with the later incarnation of the Time Lord and the vashta nerada when they had returned to Zoe on the Wheel. He'd worked up the courage then to tell the Doctor he wished to take a break from traveling with him. This wasn't the same situation, of course, but very similar.

It also wasn't as if he were telling the Time Lord he wanted absolutely nothing to do with him, either. He simply wished to step back more and be less involved with him and UNIT. Surely the Doctor would understand that, what with him being newly married especially.

“Oh!”

A sudden exclamation and the impact of someone against him threw him from his introspection. He turned to find a flustered Sarah Jane with a hand to her chest. “I'm sorry, Jamie. I hadn't seen you,” she blurted apologetically.

He noticed a couple of small pieces of paper had fallen to the floor and he immediately bent to pick them up. “No, that's all right,” he told her as he handed them back to her. “Yers?”

She smiled. “Yes, Harry and I have got tickets to a concert this evening.”

Jamie felt a smile of his own spreading across his face. “Do ye now? Have a lovely time.”

“Thank you.” Her smile widened. “I meant to ask, how was the honeymoon?”

“'Twas verra nice,” he told her. His smile faded as a nagging voice inside him reminded him of why he was here. “I'll have tae tell ye aboot it one day. I really need tae speak to the Doctor now. Is he here?”

“Oh, yes. He's in the laboratory, like always,” she replied with a slight roll of her eyes and a grin.

“Oh, aye. Thank ye, Sarah Jane.” He resumed walking, slowing just to glance back over his shoulder. “An' have a wonderful time taenight.”

He'd barely caught Sarah nodding her head and waving as he neared the Doctor's laboratory. Stopping just outside the doors, he wiped his sweaty palms on the tartan fabric of his kilt and took a deep breath.

Pushing the door open slightly, he found the Time Lord sitting at the bench reading a book with a well-worn cover. Jamie scuffed his boots on the floor but it didn't seem to get his attention.

“Doctor?” he asked tentatively.

The Doctor whirled around, his eyes widened in surprise. “Oh, Jamie! Back from the honeymoon!” His mouth spread into a wide grin. “How went it?”

An awkward smile twitched at Jamie's lips. No, this certainly wasn't going to be easy. “Um, it was nice. Verra nice,” he replied, his smile becoming more confident. “We visited a lot of pretty places. Kathryn was so happy to have gone back there.”

“I'm glad to hear it,” the Doctor replied with a smile.

Jamie nodded, looking away for a moment as he suddenly became emotionally overwhelmed. He coughed awkwardly and returned his gaze to the Doctor. “I cannae tell ye how relieved we both are to have got her back safe. Doctor, I never should've doubted ye.”

The Doctor reached out to pat him on the shoulder. “I told you we would find them.” He gazed fondly at Jamie and his eyes widened, as if an idea had struck. “Oh! I must tell you,” he began, grabbing the book he'd been reading. “Oddly enough, I located some information in my diary concerning the Grom.”

Jamie merely stared at him, this revelation catching him off guard.

“Yes, it seems their kind goes back thousands of years. They actually started out as humans, you know. They were a particular group of humans which had moved underground in the midst of a particularly harsh winter.”

A frown of confusion knitted Jamie's brow. “Why would they do that?”

“Well, it's warmer underground, of course.”

“Oh, aye,” Jamie said with a nod, feeling a bit silly for overlooking common sense.

“Apparently, they either lacked the ability to adapt to the harsh conditions, or perhaps they didn't wish to go to the trouble. The had adapted to life underground, but lacked several basic necessities; in particular, sunlight.”

“So, what happened?”

“This was remedied by the two Life Stones.” Studying the diary, the Time Lord's brow furrowed. “Their origin is uncertain, whether they accidentally found them or whether they were the creation of an alchemist. They gave off a life force that sustained the Grom, and it works only when the two stones are together.”

“Ah,” Jamie muttered, finding this all interesting.

“There's more,” the Doctor continued. “It seems the life force feeds not only the Grom, but their atmosphere as well. That is why everything was so dark and dank down there before they returned the stone to its rightful place.” He finally looked up, gazing expectantly at Jamie.

Jamie nodded thoughtfully, although a troubling thought had suddenly entered his mind. “So, ye've met these Grom before, then?”

The Doctor gave a small shrug. “Apparently so, but it was ages ago. And not under such tense circumstances, obviously.” He appeared rather perplexed. “You''d think I would have remembered that. Hm. 'Suppose it's possible I had not met them and this information was obtained second-hand from some group that _had_ interacted with them.”

Jamie wished it weren't so, but at this moment he felt quite frustrated. “If only we'd known this when I had first found the stone an' brought it to ye,” he said with a frown. “Mebbe then Sarah an' Kathryn wouldnae have been captured.” As odd as it might have seemed, it was this frustration which gave him the push he needed to finally make his case for spending less time with the Doctor and UNIT.

He turned and found the Doctor eyeing him contritely. His expression didn't sit well with Jamie, but he continued on. “Doctor, I ...” He stopped to rake a nervous hand through his hair and toss it back. “I need tae speak with ye aboot something.”

The Doctor nodded and held out a hand, gesturing for him to continue.

“I did feel responsible for Sarah Jane having been kidnapped; I was the one who found the stone in the first place. But when ye contacted me aboot it I should've stayed in Cornwall, no' come back here. I blame m'self for that, but Kathryn was right aboot one thing. Ye see, when she an' I had that argument in Cornwall – before she disappeared – she told me she wasnae happy aboot us no' having much time taegether. I thought she was exaggeratin' a wee bit outta anger, but thinking on it I realized she was right.” He stopped and sighed, afraid to look the Doctor in the eye. “What I'm tryin' tae say is … Mebbe I should step back a wee bit and no' get so involved with ye an' UNIT. I wish tae spend some more time wi' Kathryn.”

He finally lifted his gaze to find the Doctor gazing at him with wide, sad eyes, seeming both baffled and hurt at the same time. After a protracted stare, a wide, mad grin suddenly spread across his face. “You'll be back,” he said.

Jamie felt his lips tighten into an uncomfortable grimace and he briefly looked away. When he turned back to the Doctor he found his grin had faded.

“You won't ...” he drifted off, appearing quite disappointed.

Jamie heaved a sigh. Yes, he knew this was going to be difficult, but he felt the Doctor had misunderstood. “It willnae be 'Goodbye', Doctor,” he corrected him. “I jus' wish tae have a smaller role wi' you an' UNIT. As my wife, Kathryn needs tae come first. Look, ye've been a large part of my life for some time. I owe so much to ye for all ye've done for me ... pulling me outta trouble, saving my life more times than I care tae remember.” He chuckled sheepishly and looked up to find the Doctor with a sad smile on his face. “But, I'm married now. There are gannae be times when ye might need me, but Kathryn needs me as well.”

The Doctor's expression turned thoughtful and he nodded. “I understand perfectly.” He then appeared rueful. “Goodness me, I've got a lot of cheek to expect so much from you during this important time in your life, haven't I?”

Jamie chuckled. “No, it's my fault as well, Doctor. I'd never been married before, let alone in a verra serious relationship. I've now learnt what such a commitment means. I need – no, I _want_ – tae spend more time wi' her now.”

“Well, whatever you'd like, Jamie, it shall be yours,” the Doctor told him with a kind smile.

Jamie's lips twitched into a grateful smile as he nodded. “I cannae thank ye enough, Doctor. I have tae admit, I was no' sure ye'd understand.”

“Oh, of course I understand,” the Doctor said with a dismissive wave. “How many times have I heard similar wishes from family and friends? My own granddaughter wished to stay behind on Earth and settle down with that David fellow.”

Jamie's brow furrowed in confusion.

The Doctor's mad grin was back. “I won't bore you with that,” he said with a wink.

Jamie smiled in amusement for a fleeting moment before it faded and he eyed the Doctor seriously. “Jus' remember it's no' 'Goodbye' like the others,” he insisted. “I'll still come 'round from time tae time. But no' as often as I've been doin' so.”

“Of course.” His fond smile turned into another grin. “Just keep in mind we'd all be very interested in seeing baby photos once the time comes.” He clapped Jamie on the back. “Congratulations once again, my dear friend.”

“Thank ye, Doctor,” Jamie told him softly, his face beaming in a genuine smile.

 

* * *

 

“So, how did it go today?” Kathyrn asked as she sat next to Jamie on the sofa and handed him a glass of wine.

“Fine,” he replied, gazing wistfully into the glass.

“That's it? Just 'fine'?” Her eyes twinkled in amusement.

Jamie regarded her sheepishly with a slight shrug. “He said he understood. I still feel badly aboot approaching him the way I did, but it had tae be done.” He gazed affectionately at her as he snaked an arm around her shoulder, pulling her close. “I love ye so much, lass. I wish tae spend as much time with ye as I'm able an' I willnae let my business with the Doctor an' UNIT get in the way. An' I'm certainly no' gannae let ye be put in harm's way again.”

“I know this was difficult for you,” she said, a hint of sadness in her voice. “But I'm glad the Doctor understood. This really means a lot to me, Jamie. I love you.”

Putting his wine glass aside, he held her face in his hands and kissed her lips tenderly. To say he was relieved this had ended so well was an understatement. He'd suspected the Doctor would understand, even if he wasn't entirely happy. Jamie knew he would never cut himself loose completely from the Doctor and their friends, nor did he want to. After all, he'd owed so much to the Doctor for all he'd done for him in the first place.

But he was now starting a new chapter of his life. He needed to find the perfect mix of his personal life with Kathryn and his life with the Doctor.

Smiling to himself as he gazed at his loving wife sipping her wine and looking perfectly contented, he was confident he could achieve that.

 

THE END

 

  

 

 

 


End file.
